









.**V 













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DEVOUT INSTRUCTIONS 



ON THE 



EPISTLES AND GOSPELS 

FOR THE SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS; 



EXPLANATIONS OF CHRISTIAN FAITH AND DUTY, AND OF 
CHURCH CEREMONIES. 



BY 

THE KEY. LEOBTAKD GOFFIim 

PEIEST OE THE ORDER OF PREMONSTRATENSIANS. 



TRANSLATED FEOM THE GEEMAN, 

BY THE KEY. THEODORE NOETHEN. 






NEW YOEK : / 
EDWARD DUNIGAN & BROTHER, 

(JAMES B. KIRRER,) 
^ 371 BROADWAY. 



<<* 



?Vi^ 



" Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass." 

St. Matt. xxiv. 25. 

" Blessed are they, who hear the word of God and keep it." 

St. Luke xii. 28. 

"Come, children, hearken to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord." 

Psalm xxxiii. 12. 

" Show the people the ceremonies and the manner of worshipping." 

Exod. xviii. 20. 

"And I say unto you, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build 
my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." 

St. Matt. xvi. 18. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, 

By JAMES B. KIKKEE, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern 

District of New York. 



CONTENTS 



Preface , ix 

Translator's Preface xi 

Memoir of the Venerable Author xiii 

Daily Devotions xvii 

PART I. 

Explanation of the Ecclesiastical Year 13 

Instruction on Advent 21 

First Sunday in Advent 23 

Second " " : 28 

Third " " 35 

Fourth " " 42 

Christmas Eve (Vigil of the Nativity) 61 

Christmas 62 

" Sunday after 73 

Feast of the Circumcision (New Year's Day) 80 

" " " Suuday after 84 

Epiphany 86 

First Sunday after Epiphany 93 

Second " " " (Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus). . 104, 117 

Third " " " 120 

Fourth " " " 128 

Fifth " " " 132 

Sixth « " " 138 

Septuagesima Sunday 141 

Sexagesima Sunday 148 

Quinquagesima Sunday 157 

Lent 162 

Ash-Wednesday 164 

Thursday after Ash- Wednesday 168 



IV CONTENTS. 

FAGE 

Friday after Ash- Wednesday 169 

Saturday " " 171 

First Sunday in Lent 173 

" " " Monday after 179 

" " " Tuesday " 182 

" W'nesday " 184 

" Thursday " 186 

"Friday " 190 

" " " Saturday " 193 

Second Sunday in Lent 194 

" " " Monday after 198 

" " " Tuesday " 201 

" W'nesday " 204 

" " " Thursday " 207 

" Friday " • 209 

" " Saturday " 213 

Third Sunday in Lent 217 

" " " Monday after 223 

" " " Tuesday " 226 

11 W'nesday " 228 

" Thursday" .231 

" " Friday " 233 

" " Saturday " 237 

Fourth Sunday in Lent 242 

" Monday after 247 

" " Tuesday "'.... 250 

' " " W'nesday " 252 

" Thursday" 256 

" " " Friday " 258 

" " " Saturday " 262 

Passion Sunday » ,. 265 

" " Monday after '. 270 

" " Tuesday " 273 

W'aesday " 275 

" " Thursday " 278 

" " Friday " 279 

" Saturday " 284 

Palm Sunday 287 

Holy Week '. 297 

Monday in Holy Week 298 

Tuesday " " 301 

Wednesday " " 307 

Maundy Thursday 315 

Good Friday 320 

Holy Saturday 336 

Easter Sunday 341 



CONTENTS. V 

PAGE 

Easter Monday 347 

" Tuesday 351 

Low Sunday 357 

Second Sunday after Easter 364 

Third " " 369 

Fourth " " 373 

Fifth " " 378 

Rogation Days 388 

Ascension Day 390 

Sixth Sunday after Easter 395 

Pentecost 400 

Whit-Monday 404 

Whit-Tuesday 407 

Wednesday (Ember-day) 413 

Friday " 414 

Saturday " 416 

Trinity Sunday 417 

First Sunday after Pentecost 428 

Corpus Christi 434 

Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus 445 

Second Sunday after Pentecost 452 

Third " " 459 

Fourth " " 465 

Fifth " " 471 

Sixth l f " 478 

Seventh " " 484 

Eighth " " 491 

Ninth " m 497 

Tenth " " 503 

Eleventh " " 509 

Twelfth " tl ! 515 

Thirteenth " '« 523 

Fourteenth " " 533 

Fifteenth " " 538 

Sixteenth " " 546 

Seventeenth " " 551 

Ember Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 559, 561, 562 

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost 564 

Nineteenth " " 571 

TVentieth " " 576 

Twenty-first " " 584 

Twenty-second " " 589 

Twenty-third " " 594 

Twenty-fourth " " 598 

Feast of the Dedication of a Church 604 

Review, showing the Connection of all the Gospels of the Year 615 



VI CONTENTS. 



PART II. 

PAGTt 

On the Veneration and Invocation of the Saints 621 

St. Andrew Nov. 30 634 

St. Francis Xavier Dec. 3 638 

St. Nicholas " 6 644 

Immaculate Conception " 8 649 

St. Thomas " 21 655 

St. Stephen " 26 659 

St. John " 27 663 

Holy Innocents " 28 667 

Last Day of the Year " 31 673 

St. Valentine Jan. 7 675 

St, Peter's Chair " 18 and Feb. 22 676 

St. Sebastian " 20 678 

Conversion of St. Paul " 25 682 

St. Charles " 28 686 

Purification of the Blessed Virgin . . .Feb. 2 688 

St. Blase " 3 694 

St. Matthias " 24 or 25 696 

St. Joseph March 19 703 

Renunciation " 25 710 

St. Ludger. 717 

St. Adalbert April 23 719 

St, George " 23 721 

St. Mark " 25 723 

St. Philip and St. James May 1 725 

Invention of the Holy Cross " 3 729 

St John Nepomucene. " 16 735 

St Boniface June 5 738 

St. Vitus and Companions " 15 743 

St. Benno " 16 745 

St, Aloysius " 21 746 

Nativity of St. John the Baptist " 24 750 

St Peter and St. Paul " 29 754 

Visitation of the Blessed Virgin July 2 765 

St. Ulric " 4 768 

St. Willibald " 7 769 

St. Kilian and his Companions 4 * 8 771 

St Henry " 15 776 

Feast of the Holy Scapular Third Sunday in July 781 

St Mary Magdalen July 22 ' 783 

St Liborius " 2:; 787 

St. James the Greater " 25 789 



CONTENTS. Vll 

PAGE 

St. Anne July 26 792 

St. Ignatius ■. " 31 796 

St. Lawrence Aug. 10 797 

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. . . " 15 800 

St. Joachim Sunday after the Assumption. . . 805 

St. Bartholomew Aug. 24 807 

St. Augustine " 28 810 

St. Stephen Sept. 2 812 

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin " 8 816 

Exaltation of the Holy Cross •. " 14 819 

St. Matthew " 21 822 

St. Rupert " 24 825 

St. Michael " 29 827 

Guardian Angel Oct. 2 829 

Feast of the Rosary First Sunday in October 833 

St. Francis of Assisi Oct. 4 839 

St. Gall " 16 841 

St. Hedwige "17 843 

St. Wendelin "22 846 

St. Simon and St. Jude " 28 847 

St. Wolfgang "31 851 

All Saints.. . Nov. 1 854 

All Souls " 2 860 

St. Martin " 11 867 

St. Leopold " 16 871 

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin. . . " 24 874 

St, Corbinian " 20 876 

St. Catharine " 25 T 879 

Patronage of St. Joseph Third Sunday after Easter 885 

A Short Compendium of the Catechism of Father Peter Canisius, 
with References to Explanations of the Different Points in this 

Volume 897 



PREFACE 



Goffine's Manual of Instruction and Devotion, when 
first published in the German language, was received with 
very great favor, which has not only been continued to it 
up to the present time, but has meanwhile increased. The 
first "Wurtzburg edition consisted of 3,000 copies, the sec- 
ond and third of 5,000 each, and the fourth of 7,500. The 
Munich, Munster, Vienna, Einsiedeln, and many other 
editions have been still larger — a fact which serves to in- 
dicate the esteem in which the book is held by German 
Catholics. All the German Bishops have recommended 
its publication and circulation as a standard work ; and 
some of the most learned and distinguished German 
divines have at different times appeared as its editors. 
The following considerations will also help to show the 
usefulness of the work : 

1. The Catholic Church, according to the words of 
Christ, "Go and teach all nations," has at all times joined 
instruction with the offering of the Holy Sacrifice. But 
the words of the preacher often pass away like smoke in 
air; preaching and spiritual reading should therefore sup- 
port each other. By this means instruction will be the 
more deeply impressed on the heart, and bring forth more 
salutary fruits in the life. Much that we lose by neglect 
may thus be regained. For these reasons the reading of 
spiritual books is recommended by all enlightened teach- 
ers, as a means of properly keeping Sundays and holy 



X PREFACE. 

days. What a beautiful sight it is to see the father begin 
this reading on days sanctified to God, while the members 
of his family sit around and listen to him ! 

2. No exercise of our lives is more salutary than medi- 
tation on the life, death, doctrines, and example of our 
Divine Saviour. It is milk to the children, nourishing 
food to the adults, medicine to the sick, salvation to sin- 
ners, consolation to them of little faith, strength to the 
penitent, counsel to the just. To the perfect it opens 
secret mysteries, and gives to the faithful grace in time 
and happiness in eternity. 

3. Many cannot assist at the community mass, or other 
divine services ; and often from just causes — as when 
attending the sick. But by the help of a spiritual book 
like this, they are enabled devoutly to arrange their fam- 
ily devotions. 

4. The Latin language has been reserved by the Cath- 
olic Church for its Divine Services, in order that an 
inviolable conformity and unity may be preserved, and all 
innovations prevented. In this book, however, the Cath • 
olic will find the Introits of the Mass during the Ecclesi- 
astical Year, the Prayers of the Church, the Epistles and 
Gospels, translated from the Latin, the points of faith and 
practice taught therein, and explanations of the ceremonies 
used in celebrating the mysteries of our salvation. 

Would that this book might come into the hands of 
many ; that they might read it with care on Sundays and 
holy days ; and that what they read might not only be 
deeply impressed on their understanding and memory, 
but also upon their hearts, to the glory of God, and the 
temporal and eternal welfare of the faithful. 



TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. 



The chief aim of the translator of the following well- 
known book, has been to present as clearly as he could 
the meaning and thought of his author ; but he has not 
restricted himself to the text of any one edition, having 
made use of several of those that are most esteemed. He 
hopes that German Catholics in this country, who are 
familiar with Gofiine in the original, will be glad to meet 
with their favorite volume in a language which, though 
comparatively new to them, must yet be the language of 
their children; and that English readers will find both 
pleasure and profit in the intrinsic worth of the book, 
apart from the interest which attaches to it on account of 
its popularity in the German. 

Occasional allusions will be found to customs not known 
here ; but these have been allowed to pass without remark, 
as not being likely to mislead any one, while they help to 
interest us, and extend the reach of our sympathies by 
showing us something of Catholic life under circumstances 
different from our own. 



MEMOIR OF THE VENERABLE AUTHOR. 



Leonard Goffine was born at Cologne, in the year 1648 
and was received as a Premonstratensian monk, on the 18th July 
1669, at Steinfeld, in the Duchy of Juelich, in a convent which 
was afterwards secularized. For many years he had charge of the 
parishes of Oberstein and Coesfeld, which he served with praise- 
worthy zeal. Everywhere he kept the example of his Lord and 
Master before his eyes. As we read in the Acts (i. 1), "Jesus 
began to do, and to teach," so his greatest care was, first to correct 
himself and then to teach others. Being persuaded that public 
instruction and the exercises of the Divine Service should be 
accompanied by Christian Instruction at home, he wrote at Coes- 
feld, Westphalia, a book of Instruction and Devotion, which, under 
the title of "A Manual," he caused to be published in the year 
1690. In this work his aim was to instruct thoroughly, in regard 
to their sublime vocation, not only his own parishioners, but also 
all Christians desirous of salvation ; to convince them of the super- 
stition and errors of the world ; to fill them with a lively faith, 
with sweet hope of the goods of eternity, and with a holy love for 
God and heavenly things. As his whole conduct showed that the 
Spirit of God was with him, so even they who opposed his religion 
could not withhold from him their respect. He died August 11th, 
1*719, in the Vlst year of his age. His memory remains in 
benediction. 



PART I. 



Of the Sundays of the Ecclesiastical Year. 



DAILY PRATERS 

OF THE 

CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN. 



p»fttitt0 §tvotit)n$. 



The wise man will give his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him, 
and he will pray in the sight of the Most High. — Ecclus. xxxix. 6. 

As soon as you awake, think that your Guardian Angel has awakened 
you, and that God has given you the day to work out your salvation. 
Remember that this day may be the last of your life, that in it you 
may practice virtue with the more zeal. Do every day what you 
wish to have done at the hour of your death. 

Say, at rising : 

I rise in the name of God ^ the Father, who has created me, »J« 
the Son who has redeemed me, «J. the Holy Ghost who has sanctified 
me. May the blessed Trinity preserve me from all dangers of soul 
and body. 

While dressing: 

O Lord, give me the garment of love, the arms of justice; gird my 
loins with truth; put on me the helmet of salvation, give me the 
sword of the spirit, which is thy divine word ; protect me with the 
shield of faith, with which I may repel the arrows of the enemy. Oh, 
that I might, like the elect of God, be invested with mercy, benignity, 
humility, patience, and all other virtues. 

An Act of Adoration. 
O most holy and undivided Trinity, eternal Lord and God, I be- 
lieve that thou art here really present, and dost penetrate the inmost 
recesses of my heart. I adore thee with the prolbundest veneration. 
I unite my prayers with the praises of the angels and saints in heaven, 



XVI ll DAILY PRAYERS OF 

and with those of thy faithful servants on earth, who in this morning 
hour offer up their devotions to thee. I love thee with my whole 
heart, and above all things. 

An Act of Thanksgiving. 

I heartily thank thee, most gracious God, for all the benefits which 
thou hast conferred upon me: that thou hast created me, redeemed 
me with thy most precious blood, sanctified me through holy baptism, 
called me to thy holy religion, and particularly that thou hast pre- 
served me during the night past. I also give thanks to thee in behalf 
of those who fail to acknowledge the mercy of another day. 

An Act of Contrition. 

Alas, when I look back, I confess with confusion! I reproach my- 
self with many sins and. omissions. I acknowledge my ingratitude, 
and most heartily repent of it. Forgive me, O Lord, the bad thoughts 
by which, whether sleeping or waking, I have during the past night 
defiled my conscience and offended thee. My God, deal with me ac- 
cording to thy goodness and mercy, in which I hope. 

An Act of Oblation. 

O Lord, our Maker, who hast created all things for thyself, I offer 
up to thy infinite good pleasure whatever I shall this day think, speak, 
do, or suffer, every pulsation and breathing, every inner and outer act 
of mine, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in union with the 
thoughts of his most sacred heart, and with the intentions which 
have ever been made by the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all pious souls, 
in order to praise and glorify thee, the fountain of all goodness, to 
lay down a satisfaction for my sins before the judgment-seat of thy 
justice, to implore thy mercy for all living and for the dead. To 
thee, King of Glory, I devote all my labors. 

Petition and Commendation to God. 

From thee, O Lord, proceed all good counsels and just works ; as- 
sist me always with thy grace, that I may begin, continue, and end 
all my works in thee. Give me wisdom to speak what is right and 
pleasing to thee, and wisdom to keep silence where silence is better 
than speech. Give me courage to suffer whatever thou orderest for 
my good. Cause thyself, O Lord, to be devouth* served in all Chris- 
tian lands, that in all governments good laws may be made, in all 
families useful works may be done, that by all this day may be sane- 



THE CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN. XIX 

titled and directed to the glory of thy name. Bless my friends and 
enemies; let no one this day perish, either temporally or spiritually. 
In particular, be gracious to the authorities whom thou hast set over 
us for our protection. Let them live in thy fear and govern according 
to thy will, that justice may be promoted and malice prevented. Lead 
those that travel; provide for the poor; to those who desire to live by 
their labor, grant, the rewards of their industry. Give me a heart 
compassionate towards the poor and suffering; heal the sick, comfort 
the afflicted, uphold the weary, preserve us all in health and happi- 
ness, and grant perpetual peace to the faithful departed, particularly 
to those who have died during the night past. Finally, O Creator 
of all, have mercy on all that thou hast made. 

I place myself, O Jesus, in thy most sacred wounds, particularly in 
thy most sacred heart. Teach me to be like thee, humble, meek, and 
patient. Grant that I may daily take up my cross, deny myself, and 
follow thee. 

To Mary. 

O my advocate and most holy Mother of God, Mary, I commend 
myself to thy special patronage and protection ; to thy compassion I 
commit my soul and body, my life, and the end of my life. Show 
that thou art indeed a mother, and let me not die without thy mater- 
nal blessing. 

To our Guardian Angel. 

Angel of the Lord, and protector of my soul, to whom God has 
committed me, guard me this day in all my ways, against all my 
enemies, visible and invisible, enlighten, direct, and govern me. 

To our Patron Saints. 

St. Joseph, St. Ann, ye holy Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, St. 
John Nepomucen, St. N. 1ST., and all ye holy patrons, pray for me that 
I may not fall into any sin, that I may imitate your virtues, love my 
neighbor as myself, and daily become more pleasing to God, until by 
a happy death I shall, under your protection, pass into your society ; 
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 
Amen. 

(Reflect here what you have to do during the day ; consider the 
obligations you have to fulfil ; bethink yourself of the faults which you 
have committed at other times, of the dangers and occasions of sin to 
which you may be exposed, and be resolved to guard against them.) 



XX DAILY PRAYERS OF 



A Good Intention. 

O God, whose will it is, that whether we eat or drink, or whatever 
we do, we should do all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I could 
wish for myself thousands of the most perfect hearts, with which 
this day to offer up to thee, O Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, 
thy only begotten Son, our Eedeemer, whatever I sjiall think, say, do, 
or suffer, as an offering of worship and adoration due to thy majesty ; 
of thanksgiving for so many graces and benefits ; of prayer for the 
gifts and assistances that we need ; of propitiation for my sins and 
omissions, in union with the works and merits of Jesus Christ, and 
I desire that such might be the intention of all men. 



THE THKEE DIVINE VIKTUES. 

An Act of Faith. 

Almighty, eternal God, before thy face I prostrate myself before 
thee in the depth of my nothingness, and with all saints and angels 
adore thee, full of humility and veneration. I believe that thou art 
one God, threefold in person — Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; that 
thou rewardest the good and punishest the bad. I believe that the 
second person in the Godhead, Jesus Christ, for our sakes became 
man, suffered, died, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and 
sitteth at the right hand of the Father Almighty, is also truly and 
substantially present in the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist, 
and one day shall come to judge the living and the dead. All this, 
and whatever the Catholic Church proposes to be believed, I firmly 
believe, because thou hast revealed it, O God, who art the Eternal 
Truth, who can neither deceive, nor be deceived. In this holy faith 
I will live and die. 

Act of Hope. 

I hope, O my God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, and by my 
co-operation therewith to obtain from thee the- forgiveness of all my 
sins, the graces necessary to lead a Christian life, and to serve thee 
diligently, and to gain finally, after this life, everlasting happiness; be- 
cause thou hast promised this, who art infinitely powerful, benign, 
and faithful, who art able to keep thy word, who desirest to keep it, 
and who will keep it. 

Act of Charity. 

I love thee, O my God, with all my heart, all my soul, all my 
strength ; I love thee as my Creator, my Redeemer, my Sanctifier, 



THE CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN. XXI 

the author of my happiness, my greatest benefactor ; but yet I love 
thee more because thou art the Supreme Good, infinitely worthy of all 
love. For love of thee, I love my neighbor as myself, even my ene- 
mies and persecutors, because thou commandest me to love them. 
For love of thee, I also repent of all my sins, I hate and detest them, 
not out of fear or punishment, but because thereby I have offended 
thee, O Supreme Good ! In thy love, O my God, will I live, and in 
thy love I long with ardor to die. 



Form of making a Good Intention oefore Holy Mass. 

(To be used when, by reasonable cause, one is hindered from going to church.) 

I believe, Lord Jesus, that in the last supper thou didst offer up a 
true sacrifice ; I believe it because thou hast made it known to us 
through the Catholic Church, which from the Apostles' times has con- 
stantly taught the same to us. Since thou didst command the 
Apostles and the priests ordained by them, to do the same till the end 
of time, I therefore offer to thee, with the priest, this Holy Sacrifice 
of the Mass (which I believe to be one with that offered on Mount 
Calvary), to thy honor and glory, in acknowledgment of my most 
bounden service, in thanksgiving for the innumerable benefits which 
thou hast conferred upon me and upon the whole world, in satisfac- 
tion for my sins and the sins of all mankind, and for obtaining the 
grace of perfect contrition for my sins. I also offer to thee this Holy 
Mass for my friends, benefactors, for those for whom I am bound, and 
for whom thou wiliest me to pray. I also offer it for my enemies, 
that they may be converted, for all the faithful departed, particularly 
for my parents and relatives, and for the welfare of all Christendom. 

^ortse Jftass, 

Or a lifting up of the heart during the time of Divine Service, for those who are 
hindered from attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in church. 

I. — Heartfelt Desire to Participate in the Holy Sacrifice. 

Most Holy Trinity, God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, almighty 
source of all things; my best Father, my merciful Redeemer, the 
Fountain of my sanctification and happiness, I, thy most unworthy 
creature, venture to appear before thee, to show to thee, my true God 
and Creator, all honor, adoration, and trustful submission ; to thank 
thee for the innumerable benefits which I have received from thee ; 



XX11 DAILY PRAYERS OF 

to praise thee for thy glory (for I am created for thy praise) ; to im- 
plore thy mercies, and to appease thy justice, because I have so often 
and so grievously sinned against thee. All this I cannot do in a wor- 
thier and more perfect manner than by hearing, with faith and devo- 
tion, Holy Mass. For in that Holy Sacrifice is offered to thee the 
most sublime sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, the most efficacious 
sacrifice of supplication and propitiation, the most worthy sacrifice of 
salvation for the living and dead. But because I cannot this day be 
present bodily at the Holy Mass, I will, at least in spirit, place myself 
before the altar where Jesus Christ in unbloody manner offers him- 
self, O Heavenly Father, to thee. Witb this glorious sacrifice I unite 
my present prayer ; I fervently desire, united with the Son of God, 
in the strongest manner to praise, love, supplicate thee, O Heavenly 
Father, to repair all the wrong and shame that I have wrought, and 
completely to accomplish all that can be accomplished by the Holy 
Sacrifice of the Mass. To this end give me thy divine grace, and 
grant that I may perform all this with sincere devotion. Amen. 

II. — Contrition for Sins, with Faith and Confidence in Jesus Christ, 
and an Offering up of His Precious Merits. 

Holy Father, I confess with sorrow that I have seldom served thee 
with an undivided heart, but rather have often offended thee, and by 
my slothfulness and neglect have brought upon myself infinitely great 
guilt before thee. I therefore take refuge in the merits of thy Be- 
loved Son, now present upon the altar, who so freely commends and 
imparts to us his grace and favor. In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 
Jesus offers to thee, for me, the highest veneration and love, the most 
perfect praise, the most hearty thanksgiving, and the most kind ex- 
piation. For the perfect forgiveness of my sins, O Heavenly Father, 
I offer up to thee the whole suffering and death of Jesus Christ, 
which now, in an unbloody manner, is renewed upon the altar. O 
most benign Father, thy Son has suffered and died even for me, a poor 
sinner. With thankful love I bring before thee as a precious and 
pleasing offering, the infinite merits of his suffering and death. I 
firmly trust that, on account of this inestimable sacrifice of thy Son, 
thou wilt not regard my guilt, and that thou wilt increase in me thy 
graces. Amen. 

O Father of mercies, and God of all consolation, to thee I turn for 
help and grace. Graciously look upon my misery and wretchedness, 
and let my supplications come before thee. That I may the more 
surely be heard by thee, I appear before the throne of thy grace, which 
for our salvation, is set up in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, where the 



THE CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN. XXI 11 

innocent Lamb of God is mysteriously offered up to thee, Holy Father 
Almighty God, for the remission of our sins. Eegard, I beseech thee, 
the innocence of this holy sacrifice, and for the sake thereof, extend 
to me thy mercy. O my Saviour, how great is that love of thine for 
me which, to make satisfaction for my sins, and to gain me the grace 
of thy Father, impelled thee to endure for me such bitter pains, and 
even death itself. O how great is yet that love of thine for me, which 
causes thee, in every Holy Mass to renew, in an unbloody manner, thy 
death of propitiation, in order to apply and communicate to me thy 
merits. With my whole heart I thank thee for this, thy great love, 
and from the depths of my soul I beseech thee to make me a partaker 
of the fruits of it, and to strengthen and confirm me by the grace of 
the Holy Ghost, that I may detest sin and all unholy living, that I 
may crucify my flesh, with all its passions, deny myself, and follow in 
thy footsteps, that all my thoughts and words, all that I do or leave 
undone, may be a living service of God, and a sacrifice well pleasing 
to him. 

As thou hast offered up to thy Heavenly Father thyself, so take me 
also in the arms of thy love and mercy, and present me, a poor erring 
sinner, as an offering to thy Father, and let me no more be separated 
from his love. Amen. 

III. Adoration of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christy 
under the appearances of Bread and Wine. 

most holy Jesus, before thee the heavenly choirs kneel and adore; 
with them I lift up my voice and cry, Holy, holy, holy, art thou, O 
Lord of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of thy grace and glory ! 
Thou art present, Jesus, under the appearances of bread and wine. 
Hear, O hear my prayer. I strike my breast and confess my un- 
worthiness ; but with firm confidence I implore thee, Jesus, be mer- 
ciful to me. O most benign Jesus, forgive me my sins. O holy 
blood, wash me from my sins. O precious blood of Jesus, O blood 
of Jesus, rich in grace, cry out to heaven for mercy upon me. Most 
holy God, receive this precious blood, together with the love through 
which it was shed ; receive it as an offering of my love and thankful- 
ness, for the greatest glory of thy name; for the forgiveness of my 
sins ; in satisfaction of the punishments which I have deserved ; for 
the washing away of the stains of my guilt, as reparation for all 
my neglects, and as amends for all the sins which I have committed 
through ignorance or frailty ; receive it also as a sacrifice for the 
consolation of the afflicted; for the conversion of sinners; for the 
recovery of the sick and suffering; for the strengthening of those 



XXIV DAILY PRAYERS OF 

who draw near to death ; for the refreshment, purification, and de- 
liverance of the souls of the departed in purgatory. Amen. 

IV. Unshaken Confidence in Jesus Christ. 

To thee, O most benign Jesus, I lift up my eyes and my heart. Oh, 
turn upon me thy gracious countenance, and thy true love. Behold, 
O Lord, my manifest need, and the great danger of my soul. Oh, re- 
ceive me, thou who art my only true mediator and helper. Be thou, 
tin rough the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, my salvation, and obtain for 
me the entire remission of my sins. Oh, represent to thy Father how 
cruelly thou wast scourged, crowned, crucified, and put to death for 
us, and thereby reconcile with the strict justice of God me, a miser- 
able sinner. Amen. 

Our Father. Hail Mary. 

Y. He who asJcs in the name of Jesus shall receive. 

O Lamb of God, who suffered for us miserable sinners, have mercy 
upon me, and offer up to the Father thy passion for the forgiveness of 
my sins. O Lamb of God, who died for us miserable sinners, have 
mercy upon me, and offer up to God thy death in satisfaction for my 
sins ! O Lamb of God, who didst sacrifice thyself for us miserable 
sinners, have mercy upon me, and offer up thy holy blood to the 
Father for the cleansing of my soul. 

Heavenly Father, I offer up to thee this precious and most worthy 
oblation. My sins are more in number than the hairs of my head, 
but, just and merciful God, lay this precious offering in the one 
scale and my sins in the other, and that will far outweigh my guilt. 
O merciful, O holy God, give me thy blessing before I end my prayer, 
and through this blessing let me obtain grace at once to begin to 
amend my life, and to renounce whatever is sinful and displeasing to 
thee. Support me in my weakness ; strengthen me when temptations 
assail me, and let me never forget that thou art near me. 

O precious day ! but perhaps the last of my life. O happy day ! if 
it shall make me better. Holy Mother of God, Mary, holy angels and 
friends of God, pray for me and lead me in the way of truth. O God, 
grant thy love to the living, and thy peace to the dead. Amen. 



THE CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN. XXV 



PRAYERS TO BE SAID IN A STORM. 

V. From lightning, hail, and destroying tempest, 
R. Keep us, O Lord Jesus Ohrist. 
V. Show us thy mercy, O Lord, 
R. And grant us thy salvation. 
V. Lord, hear our prayer, 
R. And let our cry come unto thee. 
V. The Lord be with you, 
R. And with thy spirit. 

Let us Pray. 

We beseech thee, O Lord, graciously avert from this house all hos- 
tile power of evil spirits and all injury from the tempests "which 
gather in the air : Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Almighty and merciful God, through the intercession of the holy 
Mother of God, Mary, and of the holy angels, patriarchs, prophets, 
Apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, widows, and all saints, extend 
to us, we beseech thee, thy continual protection; make the storm to 
cease, and the angry elements to give forth a blessing from heaven 
upon us unworthy ; preserve from all the dangers with which their de- 
stroying power threatens us, our dwellings, and the fruits of the 
earth : Through Jesus Ohrist, thy Son, our Lord. 



V. Blessed be the name of the Lord, 
R. Henceforth world without end. 
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord, 
R. "Who made heaven and earth. 

The blessing of Almighty God the -f 1 Father, the *J« Son, and the 
•f. Holy Ghost, descend upon us, our dwellings, and the fruits of the 
earth, and remain with us always. Amftn, 



XXVI DAILY PRAYERS OF 



(&vt\xnxq §tv#Uvn$. 

(In the Old Law, God commanded that a sacrifice should be offered 
up to him at evening as well as at morning, to teach us thereby that 
we should begin and end every day with him. Gentle sleep is the 
balm of our nature ; but you will never sleep more softly and quietly 
than when you go to your rest like a Christian, and lay yourself down 
in the peace which you find in God.) 

I. — Give Thanks to God. 

O God, whose most holy presence I acknowledge and with all sub- 
missiveness adore ; O God most gracious, who with such fatherly 
kindness hast preserved me and renewed to me this day so many 
graces, what shall I repay thee for so many benefits? Thy saints 
shall praise and bless thee therefor. Jesus, I kiss the holy wounds of 
thy right hand, and give thanks to thee, in union with the thanks 
which thou, when on earth, didst pay to thy Father. Praise, 
my soul, the Lord, for he is good and his mercy endureth forever. 
(Ps. cxxxv.) 

II. — Pray for Light, that you may know your Sins. 

But, O Lord, how can my thanks please thee when I have this day 
sinned so often before thee, to whom all things are open and known. 
By the wounds of thy left hand, I pray thee, O Jesus, who art the 
true light that enlightenest every man, to enlighten me by thy holy 
spirit that I may know wherein I have erred. I will now in bitter- 
ness of soul examine all my actions of this day. 

(Here examine your conscience, whether you have sinned by wilful 
distraction in prayer, reading, meditation, at mass, at sermon, at con- 
fession, or communion, or by irreverent behavior in church. Think 
whether you have not resisted the grace and inspirations of God ; 
whether you have not sinned by cursing and swearing, or by want of 
confidence in God. Examine yourself, whether you have not offended 
God by rash judgment against your neighbor, or by despising him ; 
by hatred, envy, anger, strife, revenge, calumny, slander, mockery, 
false accusation, injustice, bad example, disobedience, unfaithfulness. 
Ask yourself before the all-knowing and holy God, whether you have 



THE CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN. XXVI] 

not sinned, by pride, by vain fear and human respect, by lies, by 
thoughts, desires, words or deeds opposed to purity, with others or 
by yourself; by sinful thoughts and wishes of other kinds, by in- 
temperance, by slothfulness in the performance of your duties; by 
misuse of time, by sinful pleasures or useless occupations ; how you 
have conducted yourself at home, at church, at table, in the street, 
in your intercourse with others, and whether you have not made 
yourself guilty of the sins of others. But particularly, direct your 
attention to your habitual sins. Examine carefully what gives occa- 
sion to your falling into them so frequently. Have a firm purpose to 
be on your guard against them the following day; impose upon your- 
self a penance proportioned to your sins and faults, and pray God to 
strengthen you in your resolution, with his grace). 

III. — Make an Act of Contrition. 

Father, I acknowledge and confess my guilt — my great guilt. I am 
ashamed at the sight of my faults and imperfections ; I am heartily 
sorry for, and detest all my past sins, not because I have thereby lost 
all that is temporal and all that is eternal, but because I have thereby 
so often and so grievously offended thee, my Lord and my God, my 
Supreme and Eternal Good, whom I love above all things, and desire 
to love forever. O Jesus, who hast so loved me that for me thou 
didst offer up thy life, I beseech thee by the holy blood which flowed 
from thy right foot, forgive me all my sins. Cleanse me from all the 
stains which defile my soul — thy image — before thy strict judgment 
shall visit me with punishment. With the penitent David I cry out, 
Have mercy on me, Lord, have mercy on me. 

TV. — Make a Resolution to Amend your Life. 

By the blood which flowed from the w r ound of thy left foot, O 
Je>us, I beseech of thee the grace that, as I now earnestly purpose, I 
may shun every sin, and seek out and make use of every means of 
amendment. O God, who givest grace to undertake what is good, 
give grace also to accomplish the same until the day of Jesus Christ. 

Y. — Commendation and Petition. 

I hide myself, Jesus, in the wound of thy holy side, and by the 
blood and water which, at the piercing of the spear flowed therefrom, 
1 be>eech thee to receive me under thy almighty protection. Accord- 
ing to thy great mercy, spare all who this day offend thee. Have 
patience with those children of darkness who shall abuse this night 



XXVlll DAILY PRAYERS 

to manifold evil. Let not drunkards die in their sin. Grant that nil 
who are this day at variance may not suffer the sun to go down upon 
their anger. Strengthen those who must lie down in hunger. Have 
mercy upon those who this night lie sleepless through care or sick- 
ness, and upon those who draw near to death ; deliver them in their 
necessity, relieve their pain, watch over the sick, and cause them, 
through faith in thee, to partake of thy holy consolation. Have care 
for all travellers, for all in authority over us, preserve the innocent 
from temptation, and protect our whole community from every harm 
and misfortune. Bless me and all that belong to me, my relatives, 
benefactors, friends, and enemies, bless all men. Let the suffering 
souls in purgatory experience the effects of thy blessing; bring them 
out of their pain into everlasting rest and heavenly joys. 
Our Father. Hail Mary. I believe. 

Immediately before going to bed. 

Grant, Lord, thy blessing to this house and to this place in which 
I am, that I and all that belong to me may rest in thy peace. Suffer 
me to spend this night in thy love unstained by any sin, that if thou 
sbouldest call me before thee, I may die in thy grace, and in this 
grace awake to thee. Crucified Jesus ! let me rest in thy most sacred 
arms. I unite my sleep with thine, and in that love with which thou 
didst give rest to thy most holy manhood upon earth. I also lay my 
body down to rest that I may to-morrow the better serve thee. As 
often as I shall draw my breath, as often as my pulses shall beat this 
night, so often shall my heart cry to thee, "My Lord and my God! I 
believe in thee, I hope in thee, I love thee above all things. I am 
heartily sorry for my sins, and detest every thing that displeases thee. 
To thy infinite mercy I commit my body and soul." 

O Mary, before, and at, and after the birth of thy Son, ever most 
pure virgin, for defence against all the assaults of Satan I intrust my 
body and my soul to thy love and intercession. Thou art my mother, 
be near thy foster-child. 

Angel of the Lord! who hast thus far led me so faithfully, and 
guarded me against so many dangers, defend me from every danger of 
body and soul. 

My holy Patrons, and all ye elect of God, give continual praise and 
honor to God this night for me; pray for me that I may sleep this 
night free from all unclean imaginations, and from every sin, un- 
harmed and undisturbed by all attacks of enemies. 

Here sprinkle yourself with holy water, undress yourself with modesty, say 
one Oar Father for all who shall die this night. Perhaps in so doing you may 



THE CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN. XXIX 

he praying the last time for yourself. At getting into hed make the sign of 
the cross, 'and say: "In the name of my crucified Jesus I lay me down ; may 
he bless, preserve, and bring me to life everlasting ;" or the Church prayer : 
" Deliver us, O Lord, waking, and preserve us sleeping, that we may watch 
with Christ, and rest in peace. In peace will I sleep and rest. Into thy hands, 
O Heavenly Father, I commend my spirit." Compose yourself then to sleep ; 
but if sleep will not come to you, think upon death, and that trying hour 
when the crucifix will be pressed into your hand and the door opened for you 
into eternity. What will you then sigh and wish for ? Eemember, man, thy 
last end, and thou wilt not sin. Happy is the day that comes to its close with 
such pious thoughts. 



EVENING DEVOTIONS FOE THOSE THAT FEAR GOD. 
(to be said in common.) 

All. In the name of the »J« Father, and of the *%> Son, and of the 
*%, Holy Ghost. Amen. 

The head of the family, or Leader. O most holy Trinity, our most 
gracious God and Father, our Creator, Eedeemer, and Sanctifier, we 
praise, honor, and adore thee, we bless thee and give thanks to thee 
for all the graces and benefits which we have this day received anew 
from thy divine bounty. Glory be to God the Father, who hath 
created us. Glory be to God the Son, who hath redeemed us. Glory 
be to God the Holy Ghost, who hath sanctified us. 

All. Glory be to the most adorable Trinity, for ever and ever. 

Leader. O eternal God and Lord, we confess with shame and sor- 
row that we have grieved and offended thee, our Supreme Good, in 
thought, word, and deed, and sinned, Most Holy, before thee. For 
all this we are truly sorry, and from the bottom of our hearts repent. 
most compassionate Father, in reparation for our manifold sins, we 
offer up to thee the love, fidelity, obedience, humility, purity, and all 
the pleasing virtues of thy only-begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour, 
Jesus Christ; we offer up to thee his fervent prayers, his holy vigils, 
and his bitter passion and death. For the sake of these most holy 
merits, be gracious unto us, O God, and forgive us our sins. 

All. Be gracious unto us, God, and forgive us our sins. 

Leader. Under thy holy protection, O Lord, let us enjoy the rest 
which thou hast ordained for the refreshment of the body. Let thy 
holy angels defend us from all the powers of darkness and all the 
dangers of the night. Let thy holy light pour its rays into our souls, 



XXX DAILY PRAYERS OF 

that we sleep not in eternal death, and let thy divine grace repel 
from us all evil. 

All. In thy holy peace let us sleep and take our rest, Lord, our 
God. 

Leader. Have mercy, also, O Father of mercy, on all those with 
whom Divine Providence has united us here upon earth, our relatives, 
benefactors, friends, and enemies ; have mercy, also, upon all who are 
distressed and afflicted, upon all who are sick and about to die. O 
holy God, powerful God, immortal God, have mercy upon us in life 
and in death. 

All. God, have mercy upon all, living and dead. 

Leader. Holy Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, St. Joseph, 
and ye beloved angels and saints, supply through your intercession 
what is wanting in our prayers, and implore for us the assistance and 
protection of Almighty God. 

All. Pray for us now and at the hour of our death. 

Leader. O Lord, grant to the souls of the faithful departed eternal 
rest, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. 

All. Amen. 

Our Father, Hail Mary, I believe. 

Evening Blessing. 

The blessing of the most holy Trinity, the grace and mercy of the 
Heavenly Father, the peace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 
virtue of his bitter passion and death, the protection and assistance of 
the Holy Ghost, be and remain with us now and forever, and guard 
and protect us and ours this night, and ever, from all evil of soul and 
body. In the name of the ►!« Father, and of the »|« Son, and of the 
*h Holy Ghost. Amen. 

Prayer for a Sick Person. 

Lord Jesus, he whom thou lovest is sick. Let it not be a sickness 
to death, but to thy glory and to his sanctification. Thou hast to so 
many sick restored health, to so many dead even life, even so extend 
thy goodness to this sick person, and let him become well again. 
Thou art almighty and infinitely good. Speak but one word, and he 
shall regain his health. But we know not always what is good for 
us ; do thou, therefore, what is pleasing to thee. Only give to the suf- 
ferer patience, and to us true love for him, that with him we may, in 
this life, give thanks to thee in thy temple for hearing our prayers, 
and, in the life to come, may praise thee forever in heaven. Amen. 



THE CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN. XXXI 

DAILY EXERCISES FOR VARIOUS PERSONS. 

Prayer to be said by Persons that are Married. 

O God, who didst institute marriage in paradise, and in the new 
law didst raise it to the dignity of a sacrament, and who hast called 
me, as I hope, thereto, I pray thee that thou wouldst give me grace 
to live therein peacefully and humbly this day, and all the days of my 
life, to suffer patiently all afflictions and trials that befall me, to rear 
my children piously, according to thy will and commandments, to 
train the members of my family to devotion, and to banish from my 
house whatever is scandalous, that in and through us thy name may 
be praised. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

Manner in which the Countryman and Day-laborer should offer up 
tJieir work to God. 

O almighty, eternal God, who, for the disobedience of our first 
parents, didst curse the earth that it brought forth thistles and thorns, 
who hast said that in the sweat of our brow we should eat our bread, 
who hast laid it upon me for my own and for my neighbor's suste- 
nance to cultivate the land in the sweat of my brow, I give up myself 
therefore to thy divine will, and offer up to thee all my bodily acts, 
in union with those done by my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, while he 
walked upon earth ; I offer up to thee my labor in thanksgiving for 
all the benefits which I have received, in satisfaction for my sins, and 
finally, to obtain eternal life. Amen. 

Prayer of a Servant. 

My Lord Jesus, who didst leave the bosom of thy heavenly Father 
and come into this world, not that th-ou mightest be served, but as 
thou thyself hast said, that thou mightest serve others, to leave us an 
example of humility, since it has pleased thee to give me such station 
that after thy example I should serve others, I therefore give myself 
up to thy will, and will serve others as if I were serving thee, that 
with the humble I may one day be exalted in heaven, and for reward 
receive thee thyself. Amen. 

Prayer of a Child. 

*My Lord Jesus, who didst become a little child, and as an example 
for me didst grow in wisdom, years, and favor with God and man, 
give live grace that through true faith I may know and love thee, and 



XXXL1 DAILY PRAYERS OF 

walk in the way of justice; show me, I humbly beseech thee, the 
way of salvation which thou hast made ready from eternity, that I 
may walk in the same by-the practice of devotion, and at last come 
to thee, O Jesus, who art eternal life. Amen. 

VARIOUS PEAYEES TO BE SAID WITH THE SICK. 

Psalm vi. 

Lord, rebuke me not in thy indignation, nor chastise me in thy 
wrath. 

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak : heal me, Lord, for 
my bones are troubled. 

And my soul is troubled exceedingly : but thou, Lord, how long? 

Turn to me, Lord, and deliver my soul : save me for thy mercy's 
sake. 

For there is no one in death, that is mindful of thee: and who shall 
confess to thee in hell ? 

1 have labored in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed: I 
will water my couch with my tears. 

My eye is troubled through indignation : I have grown old among 
all my enemies. 

Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity: for the Lord hath 
heard the voice of my weeping. 

The Lord hath heard my supplication : the Lord hath received my 
prayer. 

Let all my enemies be ashamed, and be very much troubled : let 
them be turned back, and be ashamed very speedily. 

Prayer for a Happy Death. 

Lord Jesus Christ, I beseech thee, by thy holy wounds through 
which man, born in sin, is born again to eternal life, let those wounds 
stand open to my afflicted soul when it shall depart from this world, 
that the prince of darkness may not withstand it, nor the powers of 
the air terrify it, let thy holy wounds protect it in the last most 
dangerous combat, who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen. 

How to suffer Sickness and Death with merit. 

(The sick person should be encouraged by reminding him to unite his 
pains with those which Christ suffered for us in the garden and on 
the cross, to submit himself to the will of God, and if it be his 
pleasure, to be ready to die. 

It is highly meritorious to be resigned to die according to the will 



THE CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN. XXXlll 

of God, to unite one's death with the death of Christ, and to offer it 
up as a sacrifice for one's sins, and in thanksgiving for mercies re- 
ceived, to add thereby to one's merits in heaven.) 

Prayer. 

Lord Jesus, I unite the pains which I now suffer, with those 
which thou didst suffer in the garden, at the pillar, in the house of 
Pilate, and on the cross. I also offer up to thee my death, which I 
am ready to undergo according to thy will, for my sins and for 
thy greater glory, and I unite it with thy holy death endured for me 
on the cross. 

An Act of Faith. 

It is useful to recite in the hearing of the sick, the Apostles' Creed, 
and to ask him afterwards whether he believes it all. 

If the sick person be weak, some good friend should encourage him 
to make an act of faith in his heart, and should then say, 

1 believe in God the Father, God the Son, and in God the Holy 
Ghost. 

1 believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the 
living. I believe that my Kedeemer liveth, and that on the last day 
I shall rise again from the dead. 

For one thing have I besought the Lord, again I desire it, that I 
may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life. 

Act of Hope. 

In thee, O Lord, I hope, I shall never be confounded. Thou, O Lord, 
art full of goodness and meekness. Thou art rich in mercy to all that 
call upon thee. Whoso calls upon the name of Jesus shall be saved. 

The Lord loveth all that he hath made and his mercy is over all his 
works. 

O God, show me thy protection, that mine enemies may be con- 
founded at seeing that thou art my consolation and support. 

Receive my soul into thy keeping, for to thee have I been dedicated ; 
deliver, O God, thy servant, who trusts and hopes only in thee. 

O Lord, thou art my Helper, my Protector, my Redeemer. Lord, 
my God, delay not to assist me. In God is my strength. 

Why art thou so sad my soul, and why dost thou disquiet me? 
Hope in God ; I will yet give him thanks. He is the salvation of my 
countenance and my God. 



XXXI V DAILY PRAYERS, ETC. 



Act of Charity. 

I will love thee, O God, who art my strength, my refuge, and my 
Eedeemer. 

For thy glory, my God, I desire to be entirely consumed by this 
sickness, that so I may be a sacrifice to thee. Blessed art thou, O 
queen of heaven and earth ! Oh, that thy name may be praised and 
venerated from the rising to the setting of the sun. 

The sick person must be often reminded to ask forgiveness of all 
whom he has offended, and to forgive from his heart all who have 
offended him. St. Augustine, in his last illness, called for the seven 
penitential psalms, and said them devoutly. For he had been accus- 
tomed to say that no one, however piously he might have lived, 
ought to depart from this world without penance. Ever} 7 sick person 
should follow this example and say himself these psalms, or in case 
of being too weak, cause them to be recited for him by another. 

It is useful to sprinkle the sick, at times, with holy water. 



JHcmorare. 

Remember, Mary, tenderest-hearted Virgin, how from of old the 
ear hath never heard that he who ran to thee for refuge, implored 
thy help, and sought thy prayers, was forsaken of God. Virgin of 
virgins, Mother, emboldened by this confidence I fly to thee, to thee 
I come, and in thy presence I a weeping sinner stand. Mother of the 
Word Incarnate, Oh, cast not away my prayer; but in thy pity hear 
and answer. Amen. 

Salue Hegina. 

Hail, Queen, Mother of Mercy, our Life, our Sweetness, and our 
Hope, hail ! Exiles, children of Eve, we cry to thee ; to thee we sigh, 
mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn, gracious Advo- 
cate, turn thou upon us the eyes of thy tender mercy ; and after this 
our exile ended, show unto us Jesus, the blessed Fruit of thy womb, 
O gentle, O tender, sweet Virgin Mary. 

V. Make me worthy to praise thee, Holy Virgin. 

JR. Give me strength against thine enemies. 

V. Blessed be God in his saints. 

R. Amen. 



INSTRUCTIONS 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 



Explanation of the Ecclesiastical Year. 

What do we understand by the Ecclesiastical Year ? 

That order of seasons and days appointed by the Church, 
which commences with the first Sunday in Advent and ends 
with the last Sunday after Pentecost, and which is so arranged, 
that, every year, the mysteries, doctrines, benefits, obligations, 
and promises of Christianity, and in general all the grace and 
truth which Jesus Christ has provided for dispensing to men 
through his Church, shall be brought before the eyes and minds 
of the faithful by appropriate solemnities. 

Why has the Church prescribed this order ? 

1. To keep constantly before her children the infinite love 
of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as it was displayed 
from the beginning of the world down to the coming of Christ, 
and in his Incarnation, Satisfaction, and Glormcation ; and as 
it will continue to be manifested in the redemption, sanctifica- 
tion, and salvation of mankind till the end of time ; in order 
that the Ecclesiastical Year may serve as a living Gospel, in- 
telligible to all — as an open promulgation of the faith, and as a 
pattern of Christian life. 

2. To lead the faithful, as it w r ere by the hand, to an ac- 
quaintance with the truths of the Catholic religion, and to 
accustom them to a corresponding church-like life. 



14 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

3. To secure to them the benefits procured by our Re- 
deemer, and intrusted by him to his Church ; to restore, 
preserve, and increase in them sanctifying grace, thereby to 
free them more and more from sin, and make them holy and 
happy. 

Which are the chief holy days and seasons of the Ecclesias- 
tical Year ? 

The holy seasons are : 1. Christmas, for which Advent is the 
preparation ; 

2. Easter, for which Lent is the preparation ; 

3. Pentecost, extending to the first Sunday in Advent. 
What does the Church commemorate at Christmas? 

The infinite love of God the Father, who, according to his 
promise, sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, for the re- 
demption of mankind. This holy season commences with the 
first Sunday in Advent, and ends with the sixth Sunday after 
Epiphany. 

What does the Church commemorate at Easter ? 

The infinite love of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who, in 
obedience to his Father's will, by his life, his works, his doc- 
trine, his sufferings and death accomplished our redemption, 
and then in his glorified body ascended into Heaven, to be 
there our Mediator with his Heavenly Father. This holy sea- 
son commences with Septuagesima Sunday, and ends at the 
Vigil of Pentecost. 

What does the Church commemorate at Pentecost? 

The infinite love of God the Holy Ghost, who, through the 
sacraments of the Church, imparts to the faithful the fruits of 
the redemption which Christ purchased for them ; that they 
may attain to a holy life in the faithful service of the ever- 
blessed Trinity, and arrive at a happy union with Christ. 
This holy season commences with Pentecost Sunday, and ends 
with the last Sunday after Pentecost. The holy days are : 
1. Sundays; 2. Festivals; 3. Fast-days; and 4. Certain other 
davs which the Church appoints to be kept holy. 

I. What is Sunday? 

Sunday, also called the Lord's Day and the Christian Sab- 
bath, is the first day of the week ; on it Christians are com- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 15 

manded to rest from all servile work, and to occupy themselves 
with the service of God and the important business of their 
salvation. 

"Why is there only one such day, and that the first day of 
the week ? 

One day of the week is thus specially hallowed because God 
himself rested on the seventh day, and in the old law, which 
is the type of the new (Exod. xx. 10, 11), commanded to keep 
holy the Sabbath day. Besides, it is evidently just that man, 
created for the glory of God, should dedicate at least one day 
out of the seven to his special service and to the salvation of 
his own soul. The seventh day's rest is also most beneficial 
both to soul and body ; for how T many, blinded and led astray 
by passion and excessive desire of worldly goods, would waste 
their strength in forgetfulness of God and neglect of their 
soul's solvation, if they were not, by this day, wakened from 
their deadly slumber, and reminded that they had souls to 
save. The first day of the week was kept as a holy day by 
the Apostles, and in the second century this observance of it 
had become general. The reasons for this practice were : 1. To 
establish a distinction between Jews and Christians ; 2. Be- 
cause, as on that day God created the world, so too on that 
day our life was brought from darkness to light, through the 
Resurrection of our Lord; 3. Because, as on the first day God 
commenced the creation of the w T orld, so too on it he sent his 
Holy Spirit for the restoration of mankind, and for the found- 
ing of his Church. Sunday is therefore a perpetual commem- 
oration of the creation of the world by God the Father ; of our 
redemption by God the Son, and of our sanctification by God 
the Holy Ghost. 4. Besides, many events memorable in the 
history of the Church, and fraught with blessing, have hap- 
pened on that day ; as, for instance, the entrance of Christ into 
Jerusalem before his suffering and death ; the institution of 
the sacrament of Penance; and, according to Bellarmine (tom._ 
2, lib. 2), the Birth, Circumcision, and Baptism of our Lord. 
Finally, Sunday is also a day of rest to Christians, and as such 
reminds them to prepare with earnestness for the eternal Sab- 
bat li of Heaven. 



16 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

How, then, should we spend Sunday ? 

As the design of its institution requires ; that is, holily. For 
whoever ponders the account of the day just given, must per- 
ceive that there is no time in it for mere worldly affairs, but 
that it should be all devoted to the service of God and the in- 
terests of eternity, unless a man would go contrary to the 
ordinances of God, slight the intention of the Church, trine 
with his salvation, and draw down upon himself heavy punish- 
ment. In the law of Moses, happiness, prosperity, and bene- 
diction in soul and body, were promised to those who kept 
holy the Sabbath (Exod. xxvi. ; Deut. xxviii.); but evil and 
misfortune were threatened to those who desecrated it, and 
even capital punishment was declared to be the penalty of 
violating it. Should not God, therefore, require the sanctifica- 
tion of the Christian Sabbath, which he has signalized by so 
much greater benefits, as strictly as he did that of ^he old 
law? 

How is Sunday kept holy, and how is it profaned ? 

We keep it holy by abstaining on it from servile labor (Luke 
iv. 4 ; vi« 1), and by doing works of piety, such as attending 
the public services of the Church, the Holy Sacrifice of the 
Mass, and also the sermon, catechism, and afternoon services 
in the parish church, if it can be conveniently done (Cone. 
Tiid. Sess. 24, de ref. c. 4 et 13 ; see 16th Sunday after Pente- 
cost) ; and if not, we should say at home the proper prayers, 
that they may be united with those which are offered in church 
at the Holy Sacrifice — should read some spiritual book — should 
make, during the day, frequent acts of contrition, and renew 
our love to God, thus preparing ourselves to go, with renewed 
strength and zeal, to our avocations in the coming week. Sun- 
day is further sanctified by receiving on that day, once a month 
at least, the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, as the most effica- 
cious means towards our salvation; and by spending the time 
that remains from the divine service in the practice of virtues, 
and in works of charity. On the other hand, Sunday is dese- 
crated by unnecessary and servile labor ; by neglecting church 
services ; by idleness, intemperance ; by plays aud dances ; by 
roving about at night, and in general by sinful acts. Indeed 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 17 

it would be better, writes St. Augustine, that is, it would not be 
so bad, to work in the field on Sunday, as to play, to dance, and 
spend the day in frivolous, dangerous, and sinful pleasures. 
Nevertheless, innocent and decent recreations, after the church 
services, are not forbidden, but on the contrary recommended. 



Prayer for Sundays. 

O God, who hast appointed Sunday, to the end that on it 
we should serve thee, and make ourselves partakers of thy 
grace, grant that we may always, on that day, renew our faith, 
and be incited to the praise and adoration of thy Majesty, 
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

Why is it that the number of Sundays after Epiphany, and 
after Pentecost, is sometimes greater and sometimes less ? 

That depends upon Easter coming sooner or later : if Easter 
comes early, there will be fewer Sundays after Epiphany, and 
more after Pentecost, than if it came later. 

When is Easter ? 

On the first Sunday after the full moon, which comes next 
after the vernal equinox. 

II. What do we understand by feasts and holy days? 

Days on which the Catholic Church celebrates either certain 
mysteries of religion, or some passage in the life of our Lord, 
or the memory of the Saints ; they may therefore be said to 
consist of two sorts, — the feasts of our Lord and the feasts of 
the Saints. 

Why has the Church established these holy days ? 

She has instituted the feasts of our Lord, that by means of 
them we may be induced to remember God's love and mercy 
towards us ; to meditate upon the mysteries, truths, and bene- 
fits of the Christian religion, and to contemplate Jesus as the 
perfect pattern of a Christian life. 

On the feasts of the Saints our minds are directed to those 
heroes of Christianity, that we may keep in veneration the 
lives of the friends of God, and that, convinced of the necessity 
and practicability of a true Christian life, and witnessing the 



18 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

rewards which they have gained, we may be encouraged to 
similar perseverance in the struggle for virtue, and in the imi- 
tation of their examples. 

Which are the feasts of our Lord ? 

Christmas, Circumcision, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pen- 
tecost, Trinity, and Corpus Christi. 

Has the Church authority to establish holy days ? 

Certainly ; for Jesus Christ gave his Apostles and their suc- 
cessors power to bind and to loose upon earth (Matt, xxiii. 18), 
and enjoined upon the faithful to hear the Church. This grant 
includes the power of making laws and regulations for the sal- 
vation of the faithful; and, as the Church thus has this power, 
so the faithful are bound, on their part, to obey. God himself 
appointed feasts under the old law, and the new law follows 
that pattern. Thus, under the old law, Pasch, or Easter, was 
established in memory of the deliverance of the Jews from 
Egyptian bondage ; Pentecost, in memory of the giving of the 
Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai ; the Feast of Taberna- 
cles, in commemoration of the forty years' passage through the 
wilderness. But should not the Church, the spouse of Christ, 
have power to do what the Synagogue, the servant, did ? Has 
she not, indeed, the same right that governments, families, and 
societies have, to appoint their festivals ? and ought she not to 
honor the works of God, and venerate the lives of the Saints, 
even upon the same principles on which worldly festivals are 
celebrated ? 

How should we spend holy days? 

According to the intention of the Church, as we do Sun 
days ; but further, the Church, in order that we may become 
acquainted with the mysteries of our faith, and with the par- 
ticular favors God has conferred upon us, as well as with the 
acts of the Saints, and with the ceremonies and usages by 
which their feast days are honored, desires that we should as- 
sist at the eulogies preached on such occasions, and that, by 
the reading of suitable books, we should incite ourselves to the 
love and praise of God, and the imitation of his Saints. 

Which are the holy days of obligation ? 

Circumcision, Epiphany, Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 19 

Easter, Ascension Day, Whitsunday, Corpus Christi, Assump- 
tion of the Blessed Virgin, All Saints, and Christmas. 

What are we to understand by octaves? 

An octave is the prolongation of a festival of the Church foi 
eight days, in order to extend the time for meditation upon 
the particular subject of the festival. The festivals with oc- 
taves are Christmas, St. Stephen's day, St. John the Evangel- 
ist's, Holy Innocents, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, 
Corpus Christi, St. John the Baptist, the Feast of the Immacu 
late Conception, and some others. 

Has the Church the power of dispensing with, or transferring 
holy days ? 

Yes ; for Christ has given her the power to bind and to loose 
upon earth ; that is, to dispense with laws. 

III. What are fost-days ? 

Fast-days are those on which the Catholic Church com- 
mands us to chastise the body, either by abstaining from the 
use of meat or by fasting on one meal only during the day, 
in order thus to present to God a sacrifice of mortification. 
Those days on which it is not allowed to eat flesh-meat, are 
called days of abstinence ; those on which it is permitted to 
eat but one meal a day, are called fast-days of obligation. 

Can the Church appoint fast-days ? 

Yes : for having received the power to bind and to loose, 
and being, as the mother of the faithful, guided by the Holy 
Ghost, she may justly appoint fast-days whenever she finds it 
advantageous to her children. 

This power she exercised from the very beginning, com- 
manding Christians to abstain from things strangled, and from 
blood (Acts xv. 20), in order that the Jews might not be hin- 
dered from becoming Christians by observing them to partake 
of those things which were prohibited by the old law ; and after- 
wards, when this occasion had passed by, dispensing with the 
prohibition, and appointing days of fasting and of abstinence 
instead. 

Why has the Church appointed fast-days, and what advan- 
tages do they bring? 

In appointing fast-days, it is the intention of the Church that 



20 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

her children should, by fasting, mortify the flesh, and overcome 
sensual inclinations ; that they should make satisfaction for sin 
by doing penance, and by being reconciled to God ; that they 
should become more fervent in prayer and in meditation ; that, 
by conquering their lusts, they should gain the greater strength 
for God's service ; that, by saving in their fasts, they should 
have the more to distribute among the poor ; and, in fine, that 
by despising worldly pleasures, they should learn to desire only 
the things of Heaven, where Christ reigns. That fasting is 
advantageous is proved by many places in holy Scripture ; by 
the examples of Saints, both of the Old and New Testaments ; 
and, above all, by that of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our own 
experience confirms the lesson ; a full stomach does not incline 
to prayer ; and physicians tell us that flesh-meat is more con- 
ducive to sensuality than other food. 

For such reasons, the holy fathers can hardly say enough in 
praise of fasting; Christ himself also predicted (Matt. ix. 15), 
that days would come " when the Bridegroom should be taken 
away from them, and then they should fast." 

What are the principal fast-days ? 

1. Lent ; 2. Ember Days ; 3. Vigils ; 4. Fridays in Advent. 
(The other Fridays in the year are only days of abstinence.) 

Who sin against fasting ? 

1. Those who, willingly and knowingly, without sufficient 
cause, refuse to abstain from meat. 2. Those who eat two full 
meals on one day. 3. Those who, in the course of the day, eat 
as much as would make a full meal. A small bit, or a moderate 
drink, would not break fast, but would be sensuality. 4. Those 
who eat costly dinners, and indulge in drunkenness and exces- 
sive amusements, for that is against the spirit of mortification 
and penance (Rom. xiii. 13 ; Galat. v. 24). 

How does the Church sanctify week-days ? 

By commemorating on each week-day some divine benefit, 
or the memory of some saint, and by providing for the offering 
of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, that whosoever can attend 
may do so. Every Catholic should therefore, each day, meditate 
upon some divine truths; if in his power hear Mass, and with- 
out fail say devoutly his morning and evening prayers, that he 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 21 

may, by such means, be strengthened to perform his daily la- 
bors in a manner pleasing to God, and patiently suffer the trials 
of life, while through all he ascends from virtue to virtue. 

Thus the Ecclesiastical Year is constantly impressing upon 
the heart of the Christian the works and promises of God, re- 
minding him of the creation, the fill, the redemption, and 
sanctification of mankind ; inviting him to participate in the 
benefits which it exhibits; to acknowledge his own frailty; to 
put confidence in the promises of Christ ; to apply to himself, 
through the sacraments, the redemption purchased by our 
Saviour ; and to become sanctified by penance and good 
works, that so he may be always prepared for the coming of 
the Redeemer, when he shall appear as Judge of the world. 

How wise and how beautiful! Who, out of the Catholic 
Church, can boast of having so tender and careful a mother ? 
But for that very reason it is the duty of every Catholic to be 
obedient to the Church ; to comply with her intentions ; to be 
guided by the spirit of her Ecclesiastical Year, and to lead a 
religious life. 

Instruction on Advent. 

What does Advent mean? and what is the season of Advent ? 

Advent means the coming of Christ, and the season of Ad- 
vent comprises the four weeks preceding Christmas. By it 
the Church represents the four thousand years of preparation 
for the coming of the God-man, our Redeemer, and at the 
same time points us to his second coming as our Judge. 

Was a Redeemer necessary ? 

Yes ; for all men sinned in Adam, were children of wrath, 
and needed to be reconciled to God. 

Could not the fathers, under the old law, be saved before 
the coming of Christ ? 

Yes ; through the expectation of him, as already promised 
(Gen. iii. 15), and through his future merits, all might be saved 
under the old law, who made themselves worthy of the grace 
of Christ by innocence and penance, although they could not 
be admitted to Heaven until our Lord's ascension. 

When was the first coining: of our Redeemer ? 



22 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Four thousand years after the creation of the world, when 
the Son of God was conceived by the Holy Ghost in the womb 
of the ever-blessed and Immaculate Virgin Mary, and was made 
ilesh, to sanctify the world through his gracious and long-ex- 
pected Advent. 

When will be his second Advent ? 

At the end of time, when Jesus Christ will come with great 
power and majesty, to judge the world; — upon this truth we 
should earnestly reflect. 

What do we mean by his third Advent ? 

The third Advent of Christ is, when he enters our hearts in 
Holy Communion, to be with us, and to reign in us. 

Why has the Church appointed the holy season of Advent ? 

1. That we may consider the wretched state of mankind 
before Christ, and at the same time that of every one without 
Christ, which is the state of the sinner ; for which considera- 
tions the very time of year seems naturally fit, when the earth 
is deprived of its beauty, covered with snow and ice, and its 
very life apparently extinguished by the killing frost. 2. That 
we may vividly bring before our minds the mercy of God, who 
delivered us from that miserable state, and may sympathize 
with the longing of the patriarchs, during four thousand years, 
for the promised Redeemer. 3. That we may consider the 
mystery of the Incarnation of Christ ; his love, humility, and 
patience ; and rejoice and be grateful to him therefor. 4. That 
we may prepare ourselves worthily for Christmas ; that Christ 
may then enter our hearts, in the fulness of his grace, to 're- 
new them and dwell in them. 5. That we may often think of 
his second Advent, and so prepare ourselves for it, that he 
may be to us a merciful Judge. "Watch ye, therefore, be- 
cause you know not what hour your Lord will come" (Matt, 
xxiv. 42-44). 

What particular arrangements has the Church made for this 
season ? 

The violet color is used at the altar ; the Gloria is omitted 
in the Mass, and the Te Deum in the Office ; altars are adorned 
only in the simplest manner ; marriages and all festive enjoy- 
ments are prohibited. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 23 

How ungrateful to God, how disobedient to his Church, 
how unjust to themselves, are those who spend this holy season 
without special devotion, without good works, without receiv- 
ing the Sacraments ! 

Prayer for Advent. 

O God, who hast brought joy to the world through thy 
gracious Advent, grant us, we beseech thee, thy Grace, that 
we may prepare ourselves by sincere penance for its celebra- 
tion, and for the last judgment. Amen. 



i^irst Snnbni) in &buent. 

The first Sunday in Advent is the first day of the Ecclesias- 
tical Year ; on it the Church begins to contemplate the coming 
of our Saviour, and with the prophets to long for him ; she 
exhorts the faithful to true penance for their sins, which op- 
pose Christ's entrance into their hearts ; she sings, therefore, 
at the Introit of the Mass : " To thee, O Lord, have I lifted 
up my soul." 

Epistle. (Romans xiii. 11-14.) 

Brethren, knowing that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep. 
For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed. The night 
is passed and the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works 
of darkness, and put on the armor of light ; let us walk honestly as in 
the day ; not in rioting or drunkenness, not in chambering and impuri- 
ties, not in contention and envy : but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. 

What does St. Paul teach us in this Epistle ? 

After explaining to the Romans the duties of a Christian 
life, he calls upon them to forsake sin and begin the discharge 
of those duties at once, because their salvation is nearer now 
than it was before ; " the night is passed, the day is at hand," 
that is, by their conversion they had received, through the 
Gospel, more knowledge of God and of his holy will, and 
greater favors and graces than were before thrown open to 
men, and so were brought nearer to salvation through Christ, 



24 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

— blessings which imposed corresponding obligations to live 
according to the Gospel. 

But if the Apostle requires this from the Romans, what will 
be required of us, who have received Christian instructions and 
innumerable graces, even from our very youth? 

What is to be here understood by sleep? 

We are to understand by it the deplorable condition of men 
in sin ; for, as in sleep, we are inert, without care and without 
perception of danger, so Christians, in sin, are free from anxiety 
for their salvation, heedless of doing penance or of leading a 
better life. They are asleep. Others again are drowsy and 
lukewarm ; they neglect their prayers, the Holy Sacraments, 
and other means of salvation, and work but languidly in the 
affairs of their souls. They will indeed one day awake from 
their sleep, but then, alas ! it will be too late. 

What is to be understood by night and day ? 

By night is to be understood ignorance, infidelity, and sin. 
Where ignorance is, there is darkness ; and where sin and con- 
cupiscence reign, there is double darkness : God, the light of 
the soul, withdraws; true knowledge departs, and the soul is 
left like the earth after the sun is gone. The day, on the other 
hand, represents faith, grace, and reconciliation with God. 

What are the works of darkness that we must cast off? 

St. Paul here speaks particularly of the wicked deeds which 
the Romans did before their conversion, but, in general, he- 
means such sins as are committed in the darkness of the night, 
unknown to men, but seen and known by God, of whose grace 
they deprive us. 

What is the armor of light which we are to put on ? 

It consists in Faith, Hope, Charity, and good works (1 Thess. 
v. 8), the spiritual arms with which we have to overcome the 
world, the devil, and the flesh. 

What is the meaning of " let us walk honestly as in the 
day ?" 

That we should do always such works as we would not be 
ashamed to do before God and good men, in broad daylight. 

Whnt does it mean "to put on the Lord Jesus Christ?" 

It means that Christians who, in Holy Baptism, have re- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 25 

nounced the devil, his works, and his pomps, should not live 
in pride and drunkenness, in impurities and rioting, in conten- 
tion and envy — but should think, speak, and act like Jesus, 
adorning themselves by the imitation of him, as with precious 
garments. 

Aspiration. 

O Lord Jesus, who became man for us, grant that we may 
\\\ all things comply with the admonitions of this Epistle ; that 
we may arise from the slumber of our sins, and walk in the 
light of grace by the diligent performance of good works, and 
adorn our souls by putting on thee, through the imitation of 
thy virtues. 

Gospel. (Luke xxi. 25-33.) 

At that time Jesus said to his disciples : There shall be signs in the 
sun, and in the moon, and in the stars : and upon the earth distress of 
nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the 
waves, men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall 
come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be 
moved : and then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud 
with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come 
to pass, look up and lift up your heads : because your redemption is 
at hand. And he spoke to them a similitude. See the fig-tree, and 
all the trees : when they now shoot forth their fruit, you know that 
summer is nigh ; so you also when you shall see these things come to 
pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Amen I say to you, 
this generation shall not pass away, till all things be fulfilled. Heaven 
and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 

Why does the Church cause this Gospel, concerning the 
last judgment, to be read to-day? 

Like a wise mother, she would have us at the beginning look 
to the end, that we may live soberly, justly, and piously ; in 
particular, by meditation on the coming of Jesus as our Judge, 
she would incite us to prepare our hearts by penance, for him 
who came into the world as our Redeemer. For what can or 
ought more effectually to frighten us from sin, and encourage 
us to receive salvation through Jesus Christ, than the remem- 

2 



26 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

4 

brance that at the judgment of this very Saviour, all evil, as 
well as all good, shall be revealed — that to be punished, this 
to be rewarded ? 

When will this last judgment be held ? 

Jesus Christ has not made known to us the day and the 
hour, that we may be always ready, but he has given us cer- 
tain signs, by the appearance of which the approach of judg- 
ment may be known, as by the shoots of the fig-tree we can 
tell that summer is near. 

What are those signs which shall precede the last judgment ? 

The sun shall be darkened, the moon shall not give her light, 
and the stars shall fall from heaven ; the heavens themselves 
shall pass away with a great noise ; the elements shall melt 
with heat, and the earth, with all that is in it, shall be burned 
up. At the command of God, the order of the world shall be 
shaken to its centre ; fearful tempests shall arise ; the sea and 
waves shall roar, and wild struggle and destruction take the 
place of present quiet and order. In a word, such distress and 
tribulation shall come upon the whole world, that men shall 
wither away with fear, not knowing whither to fly. Thus 
shall God destroy his works, which the wicked have abused to 
sin, arming all creation against his enemies. Then shall ap- 
pear the sign of the Son of man, the Holy Cross, a terror to 
sinners, who have hated it — a consolation to them who have 
loved it. 

Why does Jesus say, ''''Lift up your heads, for your redemp- 
tion is at hand?" 

These words refer to the just, who on earth are, as it were, 
prisoners and exiles, but who, at the last judgment, will gain 
the perfect liberty of the children of God, and be translated, 
soul and body, to their long-desired home — Heaven. They 
have therefore the best reason to lift up their heads and re- 
joice. 

How will the last Judgment commence ? 

At the command of God the angels will, with the sound of 
the trumpet, summon all men to Judgment (1 Thcss. iv. 15). 
The bodies ar.d souls of the dead shall be again united, and the 
wicked shall be separated from the righteous; those on the 



THE EPISTLES ANJ) GOSPELS. 27 

left — these on the right (Matt. xxv. 33). All angels and evil 
spirits will be present, and Jesus Christ will appear in a bright 
cloud, with such power and majesty that the wicked will not. 
for fear, be able to look on him, but will say to the mountains, 
" fall on us," and to the hills, " cover us" (Luke xxiii. 30). 

How will the Judgment proceed? 

The books will be opened, and from them all men will be 
judged; that is, all their good and bad thoughts, words, and 
deeds, even those which w r ere most secret, and known only to 
God, will be revealed before the whole world, and according 
to those works men will either be rewarded or forever damned. 
"The just shall go into everlasting life, but the wicked into 
everlasting punishment" (Matt. xxv. 26). Oh! my God, when 
we have to render account even of every idle word we speak 
(Matt. xii. 36), how will it be in regard to so many sinful and 
scandalous words and actions ! Let us be our own judges 
while we may ! 

Why does God hold a general and public Judgment ? 

Besides the particular and irrevocable judgment upon every 
man at his death, God has appointed the general Judgment for 
the following reasons: 1. That all may know how just God has 
been in the particular judgment of each one ; 2. That men may 
be judged according to those good or bad consequences of 
their actions, which last long after death, and even perhaps to 
the Day of Judgment itself; 3. That the body, which arises on 
that day, and which has been the instrument of sin or of virtue, 
may share the reward or punishment of the soul; 4. That jus- 
tice, sought for on earth but not found, may at last be rendered 
before the whole world to the afflicted and persecuted, while 
on the other hand the wicked, who have oppressed the poor, 
the widow, the orphan, and the religious, and who have never- 
theless often passed for upright and devout persons, may be 
known in their real characters and forever disgraced; 5. That 
God himself, who in this world often distributes temporal 
goods and worldly riches to the wicked, rather than to the 
good, may be praised at the Day of Judgment for his eternal 
wisdom and justice ; 6. That all may perceive the goodness of 
God in rewarding the least thing done or suffered for his sake, 



28 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

even a drink of water given in his name; 7. That there may 
be a perfect retribution when the just, who in this world have 
been condemned by the wicked, shall then, with Christ, judge 
the wicked ; 8. That Jesus Christ may complete his Redemp- 
tion, and openly triumph over his enemies, who shall see the 
Glory of the Crucified, and tremble at his power. O Chris- 
tian, remember this Judgment ! 

Exhortation. 
The Church, during the season of Advent, reminds thee, O 
Christian ! of the coming of Christ to Judgment, that thou 
mayest with the more zeal apply thyself to profit by his first 
coming; for they only will be justified and glorified, who have 
acknowledged and received him as their Redeemer. Examine 
thyself therefore to-day, and during this week, whether thou 
hast believed in him, loved him, admitted him into thy heart, 
and kept his holy commands. Begin at once penance and 
good works, that thou mayest with confidence await the Judg- 
ment-day of the Lord. 

Aspiration. 

Thou art just, O Lord ! and just is thy Judgment. Oh, 
penetrate my soul with holy fear, that I may be kept from evil 
deeds, and incited to good works. Would that I could say, 
with St. Jerome, " Whether I eat or drink, or whatever I do, 
it is as if I heard the awful summons of the trumpet, 4 Ye dead, 
arise and come to Judgment !' " 



Seconb Sunbaji in &bt)ent 

The Church, after having on the first Sunday of Advent 
taught us to sigh with the prophets for the Redemption 
through Christ, on this day reminds us, in the Holy Sacrifice 
of the Mass, of the joyful promises of God for the salvation of 
the Gentiles, and of Jesus Christ's actual coming, in order to 
quicken our desire for it, and to produce in us an alacrity in 
making ready our hearts by penance and love. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 29 

For that purpose she says, at the Introit of the Mass, from 
Isaias (Isai. xxx.), "People of Sion, behold, the Lord shall 
come to save the nations, and the Lord shall make the A r oice 
of his glory to be heard in the joy of your heart." " Give 
ear, O thou that rulest Israel ; thou that leadest Joseph like 
a sheep" (Ps. lxxix. 2). Glory be to the Father, &c. 

Prayer. 

Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the ways of thy only- 
begotten Son, that by his coming we may be worthy, with 
purified minds, to serve thee, who livest and reignest. 

Epistle. (Romans xv. 4-13.) 

Brethren, what things soever were written, were written for our 
learning: that through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures, we 
might have hope. Now the God of patience and of comfort grant 
you to be of one mind one towards another, according to Jesus Christ: 
that with one mind, and with one mouth, you may glorify God and 
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive one another, 
as Christ also hath received you unto the honor of God. For I say 
that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision for the truth of 
God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. But that the 
Gentiles are to glorify God for his mercy, as it was written : "There- 
fore will I confer to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and will sing 
to thy name." And again he saith: "Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his 
people." And again : " Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles ; and magnify 
him, all ye people." And again Isaias saith : " There shall be a root 
of Jesse; and he that shall rise up to rule the Gentiles, in him the 
Gentiles shall hope." Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and 
peace in believing ; that you may abound in hope, and in the power 
of the Holy Ghost. 

What does St. Paul teach in this Epistle ? 

He teaches the Christians to be united in peace and love 
according to Jesus Christ, for the converted Jews and Gen- 
tiles were separated by mutual reproaches — the Jews pretend- 
ing to have the advantage over the Gentiles, because they 
were the chosen people, and because the Saviour was of their 
nation ; while the Gentiles, on the other hand, reproached 
them with ingratitude, and with crucifying the Saviour. To 



30 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

restore the concord thus disturbed, St. Paul wrote to them 
that the Gentiles could be saved only through the mercy of 
God and the grace of Jesus Christ, while the Jews could only 
be justified, not through the works of the law, but only through 
belief in Jesus ; that one, therefore, had no cause to boast of 
advantages over the other, since both had equal need of the 
grace of God, and that therefore they should not despise, but 
love one another in Jesus Christ ; accordingly St. Paul cites 
various texts of Holy Scripture, admonishing them to be of 
one mind, and proving that the mercy of God and the Saviour 
of Israel were promised to the Gentiles also. 

What are we to learn by this Epistle ? 

To be grateful to God for having called us to the true faith, 
and for having received us into the bosom of his Holy Church, 
and not to think less of those who are not yet Catholics, or who 
have failed to become followers of Christ, for it is not on ac- 
count of our merits that we are Catholics, but only by the 
grace of God. 

Again : we are taught that by envy, discord, pride, and 
hatred, we lose our salvation. Finally, St. Paul refers us to 
the Scriptures for instruction. 

What do the Holy Scriptures profit us ? » 

1. They teach, correct, and instruct us in justice, that we 
may serve God faithfully, and be ever ready for good works. 
2. They sustain our patience in suffering, and our hope of eter- 
nal life, by many promises, and by the examples of Jesus Christ 
and his saints. 

Does not the Catholic Church forbid her children to read 
the Scriptures ? 

No ; but she advises those not to read the Scriptures who 
are not capable of understanding them, and if in reading they 
come upon difficult passages (as St. Peter tells us "there are 
many hard things contained therein," 2 Eph. iii. 16), they should 
seek the explanation of such difficulties in the teaching of the 
infallible Church. How often, when not read with the proper 
intention, have they been the occasion of innumerable disputes, 
controversies, scandals, and schisms ! 

Why is God called the God of patience, comfort, and hope ? 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 31 

1. Because he looks with patience and long-suffering upon 

our sinful lives ; 2. Because he gives us grace to carry our cross 
with patience and joy, and removes our down-heartedness by 
spiritual consolation ; 3. Because he gives the hope that after 
this life we shall possess him, the object of our desire. 



O God of patience, comfort, and hope, fill our hearts with 
joy and peace, and grant that we may become perfect in all 
good works by faith, hope, and charity, and that we may at- 
tain the promised salvation. 

Gospel. (Matt. xi. 2-10.) 

At that time : When John had heard in prison the works of Christ, 
sending two of his disciples he said to him : Art thou he that art to 
come, or look we for another? And Jesus making answer said to 
them : Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen. The 
blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the 
dead rise again, the poor have the Gospel preached to them. And 
blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in me. And when they 
went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning 
John : What went you out into the desert to see? a reed shaken with 
the wind? But what went you out to see? a man clothed in soft 
garments ? Behold they that are clothed in soft garments, are in the 
houses of kings. But what went you out to see? a prophet? yea, I 
tell you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is writ- 
ten : " Behold I send my Angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy 
way before thee." 

Why was St. John in prison ? 

Because he severely rebuked King Herod Antipas, who was 
living in adultery with the wife of his step-brother : for this 
fidelity to the truth he afterwards had to suffer death. This 
example of St. John teaches us that the truth easily begets 
hatred, but that we should not be deterred from speaking the 
truth when our duty obliges us to, although the greatest suf- 
fering and misfortune should thereby befall us. Is it not 
nobler and more profitable to our salvation to be a martyr for 
truth, with St. John, rather than to gain the favors of the 
world by timidly looking on, or by deceitful flattery. 



32 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Why did St. John send his disciples to Jesus ? 

St. John being periectly convinced himself that Jesus was 
the promised Saviour, — for in baptizing him he had heard the 
voice of his Heavenly Father, u this is my beloved Son," — sent 
his disciples that they, in turn, might be also convinced that 
lie was the Messiah. 

A beautiful and important lesson for all superiors, fathers, 
and mothers, to take care that their dependents may be well 
instructed in matters of faith. 

Why did Jesus not answer directly, but indirectly, saying, 
Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen. The 
blind see, &c. ? 

The prophets had predicted (Isai. iii. v. vi. ; lxi. l) that the 
Messiah would restore sight to the blind, and give hearing to 
the deaf; the disciples of John ought therefore to have be- 
lieved in him as the promised Messiah, because they saw him 
perform those miracles which were at once the fulfilment of 
the prophecies and works of omnipotence, as such constituting 
the most evident and authentic proofs of his Divinity, and of 
his mission as Redeemer of the world. 

Why did Jesus add, Blessed is he that shall not be scandal- 
ized in me f 

On account of those who, notwithstanding the miracles he 
wrought, would be scandalized at his humility, his poverty, his 
ignominious suffering and death upon the Cross, and who 
would, accordingly, despise and reject him; although, as St. 
Gregory says, they ought rather to love and honor God the 
more, the more he humbled himself for them. 

What is the object of the question which Christ asks in re- 
gard to St. John ? 

1. To praise the firmness of St. John, whom neither the au- 
thority of Herod, nor the fear of prison and death, could deter 
from exercising his sacred functions, — an example to all preach- 
ers, confessors, and spiritual superiors, that they should not be 
influenced by human respect or temporal advantage, to be in- 
dulgent to vice; but that, following the dictates of conscience, 
they should discharge their duty faithfully. 2. To approve the 
austere life of St. John, as shown by his wearing a garment of 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 33 

camel's hair, and using as food locusts and wild honey, that we 
should thereby be encouraged to crucify the flesh and to do 
penance. 

Why did Christ say that John was more than a prophet ? 

Because, unlike any other prophet, his appearance was fore- 
told by inspiration ; he was glorified both before and at his 
birth by miracles ; and he was destined to see the Messiah, to 
preach him to men, and declare him to be the Saviour of the 
world. And as he led an angelic life he was fitly called an 
angel, that is, a messenger of God, to announce the coming of 
Christ, and prepare his way. 

How did St. John prepare the way of the Lord ? 

By his austere life and his preaching of penance, by which 
he sought to prepare the hearts of the Jews to receive the 
grace of Jesus Christ. 

Why does the Church set before us this Gospel ? 

In order that we, like the disciples of St. John, may, by his 
works, recognize Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and that we 
may make ourselves worthy of the grace of redemption by 
doing penance earnestly and firmly, thus preparing the way of 
the Lord in our hearts. 

Aspiration. 
O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast praised thy forerunner, St. 
John, for his firmness and austerity, strengthen in us faith in 
thee; give us grace to have those confided to our care in- 
structed in Christian doctrine, according to the example of St. 
John, and inflame our hearts with such readiness to imitate his 
courage, that we may never do any thing to please men which 
shall displease thee. 

Consolation in Adversities ar*d Affliction. 

" Xow the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in 
believing" (Rom. xv. 13). 

What can and should console us in adversities ? 

A living and firm belief in these truths : 1. That ail events, 
adverse or prosperous, are ordered by God's wise Providence, 
and therefore that no .evil can befall us except by his per mis- 



34 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

sion, who never allows us to suffer more than is for our great- 
est good. Fortune and misfortune, life and death, riches and 
poverty come from God (Ecclus. xi. 14). If we willingly accept 
from the hand of God, what is good and agreeable, shall we not 
accept also what is adverse and trying ? If we are ourselves 
the cause of our own sufferings, we should say, " Our Father 
in Heaven is punishing us for our sins ;" if not ourselves the 
cause, we must think that God is testing and strengthening 
our love and our obedience. 2. That as God, with the solici- 
tude of a father, will not allow even a hair to fall from our 
heads without his permission, so will he not suffer any evil to 
be done to us by devil or man. 3. That if we call upon him 
in adversity, God is able and willing to help us whenever it is 
expedient for our salvation. Thus, to encourage us, he says 
(Ps. xlix. 15), "And call upon me in the day of troicble, J will 
deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me ; and, If God is for 
us, who is against us f (Rom. viii. 31); and, Can a woman 
forget her infant so as not to have pity on the son of her 
loomb f and if she shoidd forget, yet will not J forget thee: 
behold, I have graven thee in my hands (Isaias xlix. 15). 
4. That it would be of no use for us to resist Divine Provi- 
dence, for all who have done so have been filled with shame 
and ignominy. Who hath resisted, him, asks Job, and hath 
had peace? (Job ix. 4.) God leads him who willingly sub- 
mits, but crushes him who refuses to obey. It is a frightful 
example which the Scriptures furnish us in Saul, who, despair- 
ing of help from God, took his own life. 5. That our suffer- 
ings, when borne with patience and submission, lose their 
sharpness, and bring us merit and reward. For that which is 
at present momentary and light of our tribulation, icorketh 
for us, above measure exceedingly, an eternal weight of glory 
(2 Cor. ix. IV). 6. That Christ also entered into his glory 
through sufferings ; that the Saints have all followed him in 
the way of the Cross, and that, by partaking of the suffer- 
ings of Christ, we become partakers also of his glory (1 Pet. 
iv. 13). Why then should we complain of the sufferings sent 
to us from God, which beget in us a likeness to Christ, the 
man of sorrows, and to all the saints ; .which separate us from 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. * 35 

the things of the world, and create in us a desire for Heaven ; 
which assist us to repent of our sins, give us peace and joy in 
God, and produce imperishable fruits for the harvest-day in 
Eternity ? 

Prayer to be said in Adversity : from the Psalms of David. 
Almighty, Benign, and True God, who hast said, Call upon 
me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee ; behold, all- 
merciful Father, confiding in thy word, I have recourse to thee 
in my need. Give honor, therefore, to thy name, and deliver 
me, if it be according to thy will, and for my good, that all 
may acknowledge the Truth, that thou, O Lord, art a Helper 
in time of tribulation. Amen. 



®[)irb Sunbaji in Qlbuntt. 

The nearer the coming of the Lord, the more earnestly the 
Church calls upon us to rejoice ; and to-day therefore, at the 
Introit of the Mass, she sings the words of St. Paul to the 
Philippians (ch. iv. 4) : Jtejoice in the Lord always ; again, I 
say, rejoice ; let your modesty be known to all men, for the 
Lord is nigh : be nothing solicitous, but in every thing by 
prayer let your requests be made known to God. (Ps. lxxxiv. 
2.) Lord, thou hast blessed thy land / thou hast turned away 
the captivity of Jacob. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 
We beseech thee, O Lord, incline thine ear to our prayers, 
and lighten the darkness of our minds by the visitation of thy 
grace, Avho livest and reign est. 

Epistle. (Phil. iv. 4-7.) 
Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice. Let your mod- 
esty be known to all men : the Lord is nigh. Be nothing solicitous, 
but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgivings, let 
your petitions be made known to God. And the peace of God, which 
surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ 
T esus our Lord. 



36 I INSTRUCTIONS ON 

What does St. Paul teach us in this Epistle ? 

He exhorts the Philippians, and us in them, to rejoice in the 
Lord, to be modest, and to have confidence in God. 

What does it mean to rejoice in the Lord ? 

It means, to be glad in remembering the grace by which 
God called us to the true faith, and gave us the hope of eternal 
salvation, and to rejoice even in all our tribulations and adver- 
sities for the Lord's sake, as the Apostles, particularly St. Paul, 
did (2 Cor. vii. 4). 

What further does St. Paul here teach ? 

He admonishes us to give others a good example, by mod- 
esty and an edifying life, because the Lord is nigh — ever 
present ; he cautions us against immoderate care for worldly 
things, and would have us rather fix our desires on God, who 
will never fail us if we make our wants known to him by 
prayer and supplication, and give him thanks for benefits re- 
ceived. 

In what does the peace of God consist? 

It consists in a good conscience, such as St. Paul enjoyed. 
It is this peace, this tranquillity of the soul, which sustained the 
holy martyrs in their agonies, and consoled others under per- 
secution for Christ's sake. (Matt. v. 11, 12.) A good con- 
science gives us the most precious and purest joy. To under- 
stand this joy, we must possess it by purifying our hearts and 
becoming united to God. 

Aspiration. 
O Lord, grant that thy peace, which thou hast given us, and 
which the world knows not, may keep our hearts and minds 
in thee. O wisdom! proceeding from the mouth of the High- 
est, and reaching to the ends of the world, who govern est with 
power and grace, come and direct us all, that we may walk in 
the path of wisdom, and of the peace which surpasseth all un- 
derstanding. Amen. 

The Best Remedy in the Hour of Sorrow. 
In need, sorrow, and dejection, the best means to relieve our 
distressed hearts; to gain light and consolation ; to revive our 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 37 

fallen courage, is humble and confiding prayer, in which we 
can pour out our hearts before God, and give ourselves up to 
his love and mercy. Who has more willingness and power to 
help us than God? and what is the consolation of men, in com- 
parison with that of God ? Let us have recourse to him, and 
he will enlighten, strengthen, and deliver us, as he did Anne, 
the sorrowful mother of Samuel the prophet, David fleeing 
from his son Absalom, Ezekias threatened by King Sennach- 
erib, Josaphat in painful uncertainty, Susanna falsely accused 
and condemned to death, and innumerable others whose mem- 
ory the Holy Scriptures, and the history of the Church, pre- 
serve for our instruction. These all prayed to God and were 
delivered from their afflictions, receiving help and consolation. 
St. James therefore admonishes us, Is any one of you sad? 
let him pray (James, v. 13) ; and St. Paul, in the Epistle for 
this Sunday, encourages us not to he solicitous about any thing, 
but in every thing by prayer arid supplication, with thanks- 
giving, to let our requests be known to God. Are you, then, 
sad and discouraged ? Lift up your soul to God, and say with 
David, To thee have I lifted my eyes, who dwelleth in Heaven y 
behold, as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their mas- 
ters, as the eyes of the handmaid are on the hands of her mis- 
tress, so are our eyes unto the Lord our God, until he have 
mercy on us : have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us. 
Give joy to the soid of thy servant, for to thee, Lord, I have 
lifted up my soul (Ps. lxxxv. 4). 

Gospel. (John i. 19-28.) 

At that time: The Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to 
John to ask him : Who art thou ? And he confessed and did not 
deny : and he confessed: I am not the Christ. And they asked him : 
What then? Art thou Elias? And he said: I am not. Art thou 
the prophet? And he answered: No. They said therefore unto 
him: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent 
us? what sayest thou of thyself? He said: "I am the voice of one 
crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord," as said 
the prophet Isaias. And they that were sent, were of the Pharisees. 
And they asked him, and said to him : Why then dost thou haptize, 
if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet? John answered 



38 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

them, saying: I baptize with water; but there hath stood one in the 
midst of you, whom you know not. The same is he that shall come 
after me, who is preferred before me : the latchet of whose shoe I am 
not worthy to loose. These things were done in Bethania beyond the 
Jordan, where John was baptizing. 

Why did the Jews send messengers to St. John to ask who 
he was ? 

Because his baptizing and preaching, with his life of austerity 
and penance, had made such an impression that people took 
him, not for an ordinary prophet, but for the Messiah himsell 
(Luke hi. 15). 

Why did the messengers ask whether he w r as Elias or the 
prophet ? 

The Jews believed that, before the coming of Christ, either 
Elias, or some other one of the prophets, would return to earth 
to prepare his way ; and from St. John's denying that he w T as 
the Christ, they inferred that he was either Elias or that pro- 
phet. 

Why did St. John say that he was not that prophet, but 
only the voice of one crying in the wilderness? 

He said so out of humility ; for although, according to the 
testimony of Christ himself, there was not, amongst those that 
are born of women, a greater prophet than St. John (Luke vii. 
28), whom he declared to be a }irophet, and more than a 
prophet (Matt. xi. 9), yet John would not praise himself — fol- 
lowing that counsel of the Holy Ghost, Let another praise 
thee, and not thine own lips (Prov. xxvii. 2). He, how r ever, 
uttered no untruth (for it would be a sin to utter a falsehood, 
even out of humility), since, in fact, he was not the prophet 
predicted by Moses (Dent, xviii. 15), but only the voice of one 
crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, 
as the prophet Isaias said (Isaias lx. 3). 

How do we make straight the way of the Lord ? 

By sincere penance ; wmich consists not in merely going to 
confession, and making hollow resolutions, but in bringing forth 
fruits worthy of penance (Matt. hi. 8 ; Luke iii. 8). 

How do we bring forth fruits worthy of penance ? 

Whoever wishes to bring forth fruits worthy of penance, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 39 

must first apply himself to redress the eonsequences of his for- 
mer sinful habits, and must show his corrected will by the 
punctual fulfilment of his duties ; for it is not enough to detest 
our sins in heart, or to confess them with the lips, but we must 
endeavor to make amends for what is past, and use all possible 
means to avoid, in future, those sins which we have been most 
given to ; Ave must love and serve God as much, and more 
than we have before loved and served the world, and yield our 
members to serve justice unto sanctification, as we yielded them 
to serve uncleanliness and iniquity unto iniquity (Rom. vi. 19). 
Whosoever, therefore, has committed fraud or theft must make 
restitution ; the slanderer must retract his slander; he who has 
lived in sensual pleasures, must leave the persons with whom 
he has had sinful intercourse, and avoid all further occasions of 
sin ; the covetous, who is attached to the things of this world, 
must learn to exercise benevolence ; the envious man must 
perform acts of charity to his neighbor ; the drunkard must 
accustom himself to sobriety ; and the sensualist, according to 
St. Gregory, must abstain even from lawful pleasures. Such 
were the fruits worthy of penance, brought forth by Zacheus 
(Luke xix.), Matthew, Magdalene (Matt. xxvi. 72-75 ; Mark 
xiv. 71, 72), St. Paul (Acts x.), and many others. 

What was the baptism of John, and what was the effect 
of it? 

It was a baptism of penance, for the forgiveness of sins ; not 
that sins were forgiven by his baptism, but that by it men 
were moved to penance and the confession of their sins ; thus 
it was a preparation for the baptism of Christ, through which 
sins were actually forgiven, and the Holy Ghost received 
(Mark i. 4, 5). 

What are we further taught by this Gospel ? 

We are taught to always speak the truth, like St. John ; not 
to desire to appear more, or better, than we are ; and, in par- 
ticular, to make a good and sincere confession. We should, 
therefore, before confession, often ask ourselves, "Who art 
thou? How livest thou ? How dost thou stand before God ? 
How dost thou deal with thy neighbor?" 

We learn, also, from St. John to confess our sins without 



40 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

reserve, neither concealing nor excusing them ; above all, we 
learn from him to be humble, for although he might have 
passed for the Messiah, had he chosen, he refused that honor, 
and held himself unworthy to loose the latchet of Christ's 
shoe. Have not we greater reason to avoid exalting ourselves 
above others, and to humble ourselves before God ? My son, 
says Tobias (iv. 14), never suffer pride to reign in thy mind, 
or in thy words / for from it all perdition took his beginning. 
But if thou wouldest be honored, seek honor with God, and 
with his Saints, who are greater and more numerous than all 
the men on earth. 

Aspiration. 

O Lord, banish from my heart envy, self-love, and pride ; 
give me grace so to know thee and myself, that in contempla- 
tion of thy majesty, omnipotence, love, and wisdom, and other 
perfections, I may love thee above all things, and in regarding 
my own nothingness, misery, and sins, may always humble 
myself before thee, and be little in my own eyes. Grant, also, 
that I may judge my neighbor with justness and tenderness, 
and love him as myself. 

Instruction on bearing witness. 

And he confessed, and did not deny ; and he confessed, I 
am not the Christ (John i. 20). Thou shalt not bear false 
witness against thy neighbor (8th Commandment). 

What is forbidden by this Commandment ? 

It forbids deceit, falsehood, dishonesty, slander or calumny, 
flattery, and particularly false witness and perjury. 

What is a falsehood ? 

A falsehood, or lie, is the willing and deliberate uttering of 
an untruth ; when done before the courts, under oath, we call 
it false swearing, or perjury. 

Is it never allowed to tell a lie ? 

Never ; not even in joke or in need, much less with a bad 
intention, or to the injury of any one. A lie is a foul blot in 
a man (Eccles. xx. 26). Lying lips are an abomination to 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 41 

the Lord (Prov. xii. 22). The devil is a liar, and the father 
thereof (John viii. 44). Bringing two men, sons of the devil, 
they, like men of the devil, bore witness against him (3 
Kings xxi. 13). See the punishment of Ananias and Saphira 
(Acts v). It is also a lie of hypocrisy, when, to please others, 
we represent ourselves to be better, or more pious, than we 
are in reality. It is better to be rebuked by a wise man, than 
to be deceived by the flattery of fools (Eccles. vii. 6). But all 
lies are not equally sinful. The malice of a lie is the greater 
when one has the intention of injuring another, in his honor, 
or in his goods ; and this is done — 1, by calumny ; 2, by detrac- 
tion ; 3, by suspicion. 

What is calumny or slander ? 

Calumny, or slander, consists in making a false charge 
against another, whether invented by ourselves or by some 
one else. 

When do we commit the sin of detraction ? 

When we divulge, unnecessarily, the hitherto unknown sins 
of others ; when we magnify small faults, or when we report as 
true, uncertain charges against our neighbor. 

What is required of him who has committed these sins ? 

Justice requires that he should recall the slander, and repair 
the injury ; for honor and a good reputation are of more value 
than gold and silver, and indeed are indispensable to every 
man who would do good in his vocation. 

Are we never permitted to make known the sins of others ? 

Yes, we may be even obliged to do so, but only to those 
who can prevent them, or whose interests are at stake. 

How do we sin by suspicion or rash judgment ? 

By thinking evil of others, without reasonable cause. Char- 
ity thinketh no evil (Rom. xiii. 5). 

What do we mean by backbiting ? 

To carry stories from one to another, telling what this or 
that one said, and thus creating hatred and discord among 
neighbors, friends, and relatives. 

How can we avoid these sins ? 

1. By being very prudent in what we speak; 2. By not 
being credulous - 3 and 3. By knowing our own faults. 



4:2 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Is it enough, if we keep from attacking our neighbor's repu- 
tation ? 

No ; we are also obliged to defend him against any false ac- 
cusation. 

What is enjoined by the eighth Commandment ? 

To be sincere and truthful, and to avoid deceit and hypoc- 
risy. Wherefore putting away lying, speak ye the truth, every 
man with his neighbor, for we are members one of another 
(Eph. iv. 25). 

Prayer for Ember days ; to obtain good and worthy Priests. 

O Jesus ! blameless and unstained High Priest, Founder and 
Protector of the Holy Catholic Church, guide the Bishops of 
thy Holy Congregation on earth, that they may impose their 
hands upon those only who are worthy, and called by thee, 
like Aaron, for the greater glory of thy name. Let those who 
are ordained to the sacred Priesthood earnestly consider, both 
the grace they receive by the imposition of the Bishop's hands, 
and the obligations and responsibilities which they contract 
thereby. Send zealous and pious laborers into thy vineyard, 
who shall be filled with thy Spirit, and come before thee pene- 
trated with holy fear. Fill them with a wise zeal and child- 
like love for thee, and with self-sacrificing charity for men ; 
keep their hearts from sin ; give vigor and strength to their 
preaching ; let them walk blamelessly before thee and thy 
people. Let them be faithful ministers of thy mysteries. Let 
thy example be always before them, and give them grace ever 
to follow it. Amen. 






iFourtl) Sunbaj) in Qlutient. 

The nearer we approach to the coming of Christ, the more the 
Church sighs in her prayers for the Saviour of mankind. She 
sings, therefore, at the Introit, "Dro}j dotcn dew, ye Heavens, 
from above, and let the clouds ram the just (Isai. lxv. 8). The 
Heavens shoic forth the glory of God, and the firmament de~ 
clareth the work of his hands. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 43 

Prayer. 
Stir up thy might, we beseech thee, O Lord, and come and 
succor us with great power, that, by the help of thy grace, the 
indulgence of thy mercy may accelerate what our sins impede. 
Who livest, &c. 

Epistle. (1 Cor. iv. 1-5.) 

Brethren : Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, 
and the dispensers of the mysteries of God. Here now it is required 
among the dispensers, that a man be found faithful. But to me it is 
a very small thing to be judged by you, or by man's day : but neither 
do I judge my own self. For I am not conscious to myself of any 
thing, yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the 
Lord. Therefore judge not before the time; until the Lord come, 
who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will 
make manifest the counsels of the hearts : and then shall every man 
have praise from God. 

"Why is this Epistle read to-day ? 

The Church wishes, 1. To remind those who have been or- 
dained on the Ember-days, of their sacred office, and of the 
fidelity and sanctity by which, as well as by their dignity and 
calling, they should be distinguished among the faithful. 2. 
She wishes to inspire respect and veneration towards priests, 
who are ministers of Christ, dispensers of the mysteries of 
God, and advocates of religion. The Scripture says, Let the 
priests that ride well be esteemed worthy of double honor, es- 
pecially those who labor in the word and doctrine (l Tim. v. 
17). Who hears you, hears me ; who despises you, despises 
me. 3. By pointing to the second Advent of Christ, she would 
remind the faithful to avoid judging their neighbors, but to 
judge themselves, and to cleanse their hearts for the reception 
of Jesus as our Saviour, that they may not have to shrink 
from him when he comes as Judge. 

What are the duties of the faithful towards their priests and 
spiritual superiors ? 

To esteem and obey them as spiritual fathers and pastors, 
who cannot successfully perform their duty without the respect 
and obedience of their children ; to pray God that they may 



4:4 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

be enlightened and strengthened for their sacred office ; and, 
since it is of the greatest importance to have good priests, to 
unite one's own prayers with those of the Church that God 
may send worthy laborers into his vineyard. 

Can priests give the Holy Sacraments as they please ? 

No ; for the Apostle says that the dispenser must be found 
faithful. As stewards of Jesus Christ, they must observe his 
will, which is, that they should administer the sacraments for 
the glory of God and the salvation of the faithful. They are 
not permitted to give that which is holy unto dogs (Matt, 
viii. 6), and cannot, therefore, give absolution, or any sacra- 
ment, to those who are unfit, lest they thereby condemn them- 
selves. They are not allowed to preach, or teach their own 
opinions, or what would tickle the ears of the multitude ; but 
only the doctrine of Jesus Christ, and that with earnestness 
and gravity, and with no more concern for being judged by 
men than St. Paul had. 

Why should they esteem it a small matter to be judged by 
men? 

1. Because men generally judge according to the appear- 
ance, and not according to the reality ; rather from passion, 
selfishness, and partiality, than from regard to justice ; neither 
bestowing praise nor censure, according to merit. They are 
also changeable in their judgments, approving what just now 
they condemned, and condemning what a little while ago they 
applauded. Who would value such judgments ? 2. Because 
neither the praise nor blame of men would add to or lessen our 
worth before God. He judges according to truth and justice, 
and it is his judgment, therefore, that we should care for, 
rather than for the world's. How worthy of punishment would 
priests be who should seek to please men, rather than God ! 
St. Paul says, in his Epistle to the Galatians (ch. i. 10), If I 
pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But not 
only priests, the faithful also must seek to please God more 
than men. How foolish, then, are they who to please the 
world follow all silly and scandalous fashions in dress, gesture, 
and manners ; who, not to be called odd, frequent dangerous 
society ; who neglect the holy exercises of religion, and ask 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 45 

constantly, "What will the world say?" but never, "What 
will rny God and Saviour say, if I do this or that ?" Let us 
open our eyes, and take alarm at the awful consequences of 
such a course, before they befall us. 

Why does St. Paul say, JBut neither do I judge my own self? 

Because he could not know how God would judge him, 
For no man knoiceth whether he is worthy of love or hatred 
(Eccles. x. 1); therefore he adds, I am not conscious to my- 
self of any thing, yet in this I am not justified, but he that 
judgeth me is the Lord. We should, therefore, examine our- 
selves thoroughly, whether w r e are in sin ; but if we find 
nothing in us which displeases God, we are not on that account 
at liberty to think ourselves better than others, for before the 
mirror of our self-esteem we look quite different to what we 
are in truth before God, who cannot be bribed. Oh, how many, 
who now think themselves innocent and holy, shall appear at 
the Day of Judgment, stripped of their disguises, and the 
most secret workings of their hearts revealed by God to their 
eternal disgrace ! This should determine us not to judge be- 
fore the time, either ourselves, or any one else, of whose hearts 
we must know even less than of our own. Let us therefore 
work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. ii. 12). 

Aspiration. 

O Lord, enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy 
6ight no man living shall be justified (Ps. cxlii. 2). 

Gospel. (Luke iii. 1-6.) 

!Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius 
Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, 
and Philip his brother tetrarch of Iturea and the country of Tracho- 
nitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilina, under the high-priests Annas 
and Caiphas : the word of the Lord was made unto John the son of 
Zachary, in the desert. And he came into all the country about the 
Jordan, preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of.sins: 
as it was written in the book of the sayings of Isaias the prophet : 
" A voice of one crying in the wilderness : Prepare ye the way of the 
Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled ; and 



46 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

every mountain and hill shall be brought low : and the crooked shall 
be made straight, and the rough ways plain. And all flesh shall see 
the salvation of God." 

Why is the time at which St. John began to preach so mi- 
nutely described ? 

Because in that happy year the prophecy of Jacob was fuk 
filled, and the sceptre being taken from Juda, the long-expect- 
ed Messiah showed himself to the world, was baptized by John, 
and declared by his Heavenly Father to be his Beloved Son, 
whom men should hear. Accordingly, that this time should 
never be forgotten, the Evangelist, contrary to his usual cus- 
tom, describes it particularly, mentioning the names both of 
the spiritual and temporal rulers. 

What were the tetrarchs ? 

They were petty princes under the Roman government, in- 
vested with power to govern territories, each of which was 
about the fourth part of the former Jewish empire ; hence 
their name of tetrarchs. 

What is meant by, the word of the Lord came to John f 

It means that John was called, either by a voice from 
Heaven or by inspiration, to preach penance, and to announce 
the coming of Christ, for which mission he prepared himself 
during thirty years, by a retired, austere life, and by commu- 
nion with God. He did not force himself into his holy calling, 
but w r as summoned to it by God. A true vocation must come 
from God, and one must wait till he is called, never forcing 
himself into office, least of all into the priestly office, for which 
one ought to prepare himself by the diligent acquisition of the 
necessary learning, by solitude, by meditation, by study, and 
by an unblemished life. 

How is the language of Isaias, prepare ye the way of the 
Lord, to be understood ? 

The prophet, by this w r ay of speaking, teaches the people of 
his time that, as on the approach of kings and princes, the 
way was prepared for them, by filling up the low and levelling 
the high places, by straightening the crooked and smoothing 
the rough ways, so they, in a corresponding manner, in order 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 47 

to prepare for the reception of the Saviour, their Lord and 
King, ought to correct the disorders of their lives, and remove 
all obstacles to their salvation. The prophet here evidently 
points at the sacred mission of John, to prepare the Jews for 
the advent of Christ, and to the manner in which they ought 
to receive him. 

Do these admonitions apply to us ? 

Yes ; and that the more because we know perfectly well the 
power and dignity of our Sovereign Lord and King. We can 
and must even yet prepare the way of the Lord, that is, we 
must make ourselves worthy of his grace by true and sincere 
penance ; we have to fill up every valley, by abandoning all 
low and sensual pleasures ; by aspiring to heavenly thoughts ; 
by being encouraged through confidence in God so to dis- 
charge our duties as to make up for the previous defects of our 
lives by good and virtuous deeds. We bring low the moun- 
tains and hills, when instead of being proud and arrogant we 
exercise the most beautiful virtue of humility ; we straighten 
the crooked way when we repair injury by restitution and re- 
traction, according to the eternal laws of justice, avoiding all 
hypocrisy ; finally, we make plain the rough ways when we 
check our angry and revengeful inclinations, and endeavor to 
be modest, charitable, mild, and patient. To do all this Avill 
be the easier for us, since the powerful grace of our Redeemer 
encourages us in these rough ways of penance and good works 
by many consolations. 

What do those words mean, and all flesh shall see the salva- 
tion of God f 

They mean that as the object of Christ's advent was to 
bring salvation to men, so all who with the desire of being 
saved, made ready the way of the Lord, should see the salva- 
tion of God, by experiencing his love, grace, and mercy, 
through Jesus Christ. 



Oh that thy way, Jesus, may be well prepared in my heart. 
Alas ! assist me, O my Saviour, to do what I cannot do by 
myself. Fill up the valley of my heart with thy grace, and 



48 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

straighten my crooked and perverted will, till it shall conform 
to thine own. Soften my rough and unruly mind ; bring low, 
destroy, and remove whatever in me impedes thy way, that 
thou mayest come to me without hindrance, and possess and 
govern me forever. Amen. 

Instruction on Penance. 

And John came into the country about the Jordan, preach- 
ing the baptism of penance for the remission of sins (St. Luke 
iii. 8). 

What is penance? 

Penance may be considered, either as a virtue, or a sacra- 
ment. In the former sense, it is a sorrow for and detestation 
of sins committed, with a firm resolution to repent of them, 
and commit them no more. In the latter sense, it is a sacra- 
ment instituted by Christ, for the remission of sins committed 
after baptism (St. John xx. 23). 

What is the difference between the sacrament and the 
virtue of Penance ? 

The virtue of penance is, and always has been, necessary as 
a remedy for every sort of sin ; the sacrament has only ex- 
isted since it was instituted by Christ (Cone. Trident., Sess. 
xiv. c. 1). The sacrament of Penance presupposes the confes- 
sion of sins; the virtue of penance does not. 

Why do we say the virtue of penance was always necessary 
for all sins ? 

Because in all ages to detest sin, to repent of it, to punish it, 
and to be resolved never again to commit it, have been neces- 
sary dispositions for obtaining God's grace (St. Aug., Serai. 
351). Accordingly the Prophets, and St. John the Baptist, as 
well as Christ and his Apostles, preach penance. 

Can any one who has committed mortal sin be saved with- 
out penanee ? 

Whoever has the opportunity of making his confession, 
must, in order to be saved, receive the sacrament of Penance 
(St. Luke xiii. 3) ; for how could he be saved without pleasing 
God, and how could he please God while remaining in a state 






THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 49 

of sin ? But he does remain in sin so long as he has no firm 
will to forsake it, and love God. 

Why do we say, "if we have the opportunity of making our 
confession ?" 

Because, in case of necessity, the virtue of penance will 
brine; us the same remission of sins as the sacrament of Pen- 
ance does. But, in that case, we must have a great desire to 
receive the sacrament, and receive it actually, so soon as the 
danger of death, or other cause, whatever it may have been, 
is removed. Such has been the perpetual tradition of the 
Church. 

Why do so many die without true penance ? 

Because they put it off until overtaken by old age or sick 
ness, thus refusing the proffered grace of God so often, that, 
according to St. Augustine (1. 3, De Libero Arbit.), they cannot 
do penance when they would, since they would not when they 
could. And St. Gregory says, " He who in time of grace will 
not give ear to God, will not be heard by him in time of trib- 
ulation." Almost all are surprised, by death (Eccles. v. 8). 
Christ himself has declared that he will come as a thief in the 
night (Matt, xxiv., Mark xiii., Luke xii. and xxi). God will 
laugh at the destruction of those who have mocked him by 
delaying their conversion during their lives (Prov. i. 24). The 
example of Antiochus should make all such tremble for their 
fate. He lived impiously, defying God and persecuting his 
people ; but at length he fell sick, and, being about to die, en- 
tered into himself, prayed with apparent fervor, and resolved 
to amend if he should recover; but, says the Scripture, this 
wicked wretch prayed to God who would not giant him 
mercy (2 Mace. ix. 13). With the same awful punishment he 
threatens those who defer their repentance till their last hour. 

Can all sinners do penance ? 

Yes; with the grace of God, even the greatest sinners; for 
he says to us all, without exception, through the prophet 
(Ezekiel xxiii. 11), Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil icays, and 
why v: ill you die? The wickedness of the wicked shall not 
hurt him in what day soever he shall return from his wicked- 
ness. Indeed, the whole work of Redemption, from the Fall 



50 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

of man until the present time, and till the encf of time, — all 
the preparatory institutions of the Old Law, the Incarnation, 
Life, Works, and Death of Christ, the Church founded by him 
for carrying on the salvation of men, all are pledges of the in- 
finite mercies of our Heavenly Father to sinners, and of his 
desire that they may not perish, but have life everlasting. (St. 
John hi. 15). 

Are all doing true penance who go to confession ? 

It were much to be wished that they were. God not only 
commands us to confess our sins, but to bring forth fruits 
worthy of penance. Hence Christ has given to his Apostles, 
not only power to remit sins to the worthy, but to retain them 
upon the unworthy. If, therefore, according to the Gospel for 
the day, the valleys are not filled up, the mountains and hills 
brought low, the crooked made straight, and the rough ways 
plain ; if, in other words, we have no detestation of our sins ; 
if our bad habits and sinful inclinations are not overcome ; if 
the goods unjustly gotten are not restored, and the injured 
honor of our neighbor cleared ; if the immediate occasions of 
sin are not avoided, and if we do not lead better lives, there 
is not then even a shadow of penance ; and confessions, though 
made every week, will be without fruit. And yet how many 
such penitents do we not see every day ! And why ? Because 
they suppose that penance consists barely in confession, with- 
out amendment of life ; whereas, it is only when both are 
united that the sinner receives true absolution for his sins. 
Read, therefore, and weigh carefully the following Instruc- 
tions : 

I. On the Examination of Conscience. 

What is it to examine one's conscience ? 

Every man has within himself a voice which tells him dis- 
tinctly whether his free determinations and actions are accord- 
ing to the law of God or not. This is the voice of God in man, 
or conscience. In the one case he experiences a sweet con- 
tentment with himself; in the other, a feeling of dissatisfaction. 
When, then, we examine our thoughts, words, and deeds, and 
ask whether they agree with the law of God or not, — whether 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 51 

we should praise or accuse ourselves on account of them, — 
then we examine our conscience. And herein great care is 
needed, lest we be deceived by self-love, for nothing is easier 
than for a man to overlook and excuse his faults and sins. 

Is the examination of conscience necessary ? 

Yes, because the confession in which a single mortal sin is 
omitted through carelessness, is null and sacrilegious. Exami- 
nation of conscience should not, however, be over-scrupulous, 
but should receive the attention due to an affair of the greatest 
importance. 

How must we examine our conscience ? 

1. "We must, above all, implore aid and light from the Holy 
Ghost, because the necessary knowledge of ourselves is a grace 
of God. 2. We must ask ourselves when we last made our 
confession ; whether, at that time, we willingly omitted any 
one or more sins; whether we performed the penance given 
us by our confessor ; we must examine ourselves further on the 
capital sins, and the necessary virtues ; on the Commandments 
of God, and of his Church ; on the precepts of the Gospel, the 
duties of a Christian life, and our own particular circumstances; 
whether we have sinned in thought, word, deed, or by omis- 
sion of good works ; when, where, how, with whom, how often ; 
why we have sinned ; whether the temptation was strong or 
not, and so on. 3. We must do this with such earnestness 
and care, as if we were about to appear before the judgment- 
seat of Christ. Good Christians examine their consciences 
daily. 

II. On Contrition and Sorrow. 

O man, says St. Augustine, why dost thou weep for the 
body from which the soul has departed, and not for the soul 
from which God has withdrawn? Michas, the idolater, la- 
mented vehemently the loss of his idols ; the parents of Tobias 
grieved over his long absence ; and should not we mourn 
when, by our own fault, we have, through sin, lost God, his 
grace, and heaven ? 

What is contrition ? 

Contrition is a heartv sorrow and detestation of our sins, 



52 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

with a firm resolution or will to sin no more (Cone. Tricl., Sess. 
xiv. c. 4). 

What are the conditions necessary to true contrition ? 

Our sorrow must be, 1. Interior, proceeding from the bot- 
tom of the heart, and not from the lips only ; our hearts must 
be contrite. All sin proceeds from the heart, and from the 
heart must spring our contrition (Joel ii. 12). Our sorrow 
must be, 2. Supernatural, excited by faith, and the motion of 
the Holy Ghost, and proceeding from the consideration that 
we have offended so good a God, and disobeyed his holy will ; 
but if that sorrow is the fruit of some merely natural motive, 
such as temporal loss, disgrace, contempt, or punishment, then 
it is but natural contrition, such as Pharaoh, Saul, Antiochus, 
and Judas had. This kind of contrition will not suffice for the 
remission of sins, and whosoever should make a confession with 
no other contrition than this, would commit sacrilege. Our 
sorrow must be, 3. Sovereign, that is, it must be the greatest 
we can feel for any evil. Such sorrow for sin we have, when 
we are more troubled for having oifended God than we would 
be for the loss of the dearest object in the world ; when we 
prefer God to every thing, and are ready to sacrifice every 
thing — even life itself — rather than offend him. Our sorrow 
must be, 4. Universal, that is, we must detest, universally, all 
the sins we have committed ; if we remain attached to one, 
our repentance is incomplete — we are still enemies of God. 

How many sorts of contrition are there ? 

Two ; perfect and imperfect contrition, or attrition. 

What is perfect and what is imperfect contrition ? 

Perfect contrition is a hearty sorrow for sin, proceeding 
solely from the consideration of having offended God, whom 
w T e love above all things. This contrition reconciles a man to 
God, even before he has received the sacrament of Penance, 
by virtue of his desire to go to confession at the earliest oppor- 
tunity. 

Imperfect contrition, which is also called attrition, is a sor- 
row for sin proceeding from consideration of the foulness ot 
sin, and from fear of hell and punishment. It must include a 
resolution to sin no more, and an incipient love of God, in order 



THE EPISTLES AND G< SPELS. 53 

to suffice for the remission of sins through the sacrament of 
Pen mice. 

Who should fear having an insufficient contrition ? 

1. Those who take no trouble to know what true contrition 
is. 2. Those who often commit mortal sins, and never amend ; 
for had they felt true contrition, they would have been strength- 
ened by the grace of the sacrament to avoid the occasions of 
sin, to conquer temptation, and to sin no more, at least for a 
time. It is better not to go to confession, than to go without 
true contrition. 3. Those who do not repent of their sins until 
publicly disgraced, or deprived of some worldly advantages. 

Can we produce contrition in our hearts of ourselves ? 

No ; the grace of God alone can soften our hearts, make us 
hate sin, love virtue, and lament our guilt (Ezech. xviii. 31 ; 
xi. 19; xxxvi. 26, 27). For it is God who viorketh in you, 
both to will and to accomplish, according to his good will 
(Phil. ii. 13). Convert me, God, and I shall be converted; 
after thou didst convert me, I did penance (Jer. xxxi. 18, 19). 
As it is thus a gift of the Holy Ghost, we must, like David, 
beg it from God with earnestness and perseverance (Ps. lx. 12). 
If thou wilt be converted, I will convert thee (Jer. xx. 19). 
Sinner ! think not, therefore, that thou canst sin as long as 
thou wilt, or be converted when thou wilt ; unless God gives 
thee his grace, thou wilt have neither will nor power to change 
thy life. 

How can we obtain true contrition ? 

By considering earnestly, 1. Whom we offend — God, our 
Father, who has created, nourished, protected us, and bestowed 
on us innumerable favors, temporal and spiritual; Jesus Christ, 
our Redeemer, who shed his blood, and suffered the most cruel 
and painful death for us ; the Holy Ghost the Sanctiner, who, 
in Holy Baptism, made us children of God, took up his dwell- 
ing within us, and enriched us with the precious gilts of his 
graces ; we offend the most powerful Lord, before whom an- 
gels, in veneration, cover their faces, and devils tremble ; we 
offend the most severe and just Judge, who can and will 
punish every sin not repented of; we offend the Supreme 
Goodness, the fountain of all loveliness, benignity, and grace. 



54: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

2. By considering the consequences of sin : for thereby we 
let go Heaven, and commit ourselves to Hell — deprive the soul, 
once the image of God, of his grace and friendship, and make 
it the slave of the devil ; that venial sin deforms the soul, weak- 
ens our love and zeal for virtue, lessens our love of God, and 
places us in danger of falling into mortal sin, and thence into 
eternal damnation. 3. By considering why ice have sinned: 
for an honor that passes away like smoke ; for a momentary 
pleasure ; for a small and miserable gain ; in a word, for a 
lentil-porridge, like Esau ; for a drop of honey, like Jonathan, 
we have sold and trifled away God, Heaven, and everlasting 
life. Should not this grieve us? 

By such meditations, it will be easy to excite in ourselves a 
true sorrow for our sins ; but without that, the most moving 
acts of contrition read in a prayer-book, or said by rote, will 
be useless. They also err greatly who prepare themselves for 
confession merely by saying the Rosary. 

III. On the purpose of Amendment. 

The purpose of amendment is as necessary for the sacrament 
of Penance as contrition, for God would never forgive our sins 
unless we were determined not to sin again. But they who 
have a true sorrow for their sins will have a firm purpose of 
not sinning any more (Ezech. xviii.) 

How can we know whether we have this purpose of amend- 
ment ? 

We can know by the effects of such resolution, that is, by 
the efforts we make to correct evil habits, to suppress sinful 
inclinations, to resist temptation, and to avoid the immediate 
occasions of sin. A total change of life must follow such reso- 
lution (St. Augustine, Serm. 393). 

What do we mean by evil habits ? 

The facility of falling into certain sins, to which we are ac- 
customed ; for example, into impurity, swearing, drunkenness, 
or detraction. 

What must we do to correct evil habits ? 

We must watch carefully over ourselves, pray often and ear- 
nestly, and avoid the immediate occasions of sin ; that is, what- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 55 

ever leads us into imminent clanger of committing sin. He 
that loveth danger shall perish in it (Eecles. iii. 27). 

What are ordinarily the immediate occasions of sin ? 

They are of two kinds. Some things are, in themselves, the 
immediate occasions of sin ; such as indecent pictures, the read- 
ing of bad books, frequent familiarities between persons of op- 
posite sex, lascivious balls, dresses, plays, dances. Other things 
are the occasions of sin only in connection with the circum- 
stances and dispositions of persons. Thus, a judge who is a 
slave to ignorance, fear, or human respect, is in immediate 
danger of doing injustice, so long as he holds his office ; and a 
man who cannot be in company with persons, who are them- 
selves virtuous, without committing sin, is in immediate dan- 
ger of sin until he quits that company. Business, in like man- 
ner, is the immediate occasion of sin to him who cannot carry 
it on without becoming guilty of usury, lies, and fraud. 

What persons are without a firm purpose of amendment ? 

Such, for example, 1. As continue to keep in their houses 
persons of light reputation, with whom they commit sin. 2. 
Those who continue in the habit of cursing and swearing, of 
drunkenness and quarrelling, without trying to avoid it. 
3. Those who incur debts, knowing that they will not be able 
to pay them. 4. Those who lavish and dissipate what belongs 
to their wives and children, who are thereby brought to suffer- 
ing. 5. Those who spend day and night drinking, playing, 
using- indecent and frivolous language, slandering and murmur- 
ing against their spiritual and temporal superiors. 6. Those 
landlords and keepers of public houses, who, for the sake of a 
little money, entice and detain dissolute people, and, what is 
worse, make them drunk. No such person as these has a firm 
resolution to amend his life, and no such a one, therefore, is fit 
to receive absolution. 

IV. On Confession. 

To receive pardon of our sins we must confess them. Under 

the Old Law it was enough to confess them to God, as Adam, 

Eve, Cain, David, and others did. But under the Xew Law 

we have to confess them also to the priest having jurisdiction 



56 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

over us. For Jesus Christ has given to his Apostles the power 
of remitting and retaining sin. Priests are, therefore, judges, 
and have to decide whose sins they shall remit or retain. 
But they could not perform this duty of judges, unless sinners 
were to confess to them their sins. Confession is, therefore, 
no human invention, but being so essentially connected with 
the authority to bind and to loose, which cannot be exercised 
without it, is an Institution of Jesus Christ's in his Church. 
St. Augustine writes, " Let no one say, ' I do penance secretly 
before God, who knows me, and all my thoughts and actions,' 
for then it were in vain that Christ said, c Whose sins you for- 
give, they are forgiven them.' " 

What are the advantages of confession ? 

1. Pardon of all sins, and remission of eternal punishment, 
if the confession be humble, thorough, sincere, simple, and 
modest. 2. Consolation and a quiet conscience ; but without 
confession we could not know whether we had received pardon 
of our sins or not. 3. Instruction, advice, and encouragement 
from a pious and prudent confessor, who is a friend and a 
father to the sinner. How necessary is such a friend and coun- 
sellor in the affairs of our salvation ! 4. Confession leads us to 
the knowledge of ourselves, and consequently to humility, con- 
trition, and other virtues. 5. The necessity of confession is 
the surest and most effectual preventive of sin. How many 
crimes and robberies are there not committed which escape 
the watchful eye of authority! how often are the welfare and 
prosperity of men secretly threatened with destruction ! But 
where human laws cannot be brought to bear, there we see 
the sacred institution of Penance opposing such crimes. 

What must be done by those who through fear or shame are 
kept from making a good confession ? 

They must consider well, 1. That by omitting one or more 
sins in confession they commit a new sin, greater j)erhaps than 
that which they concealed. 2. That if they do conceal their 
sins from their confessor they cannot conceal them from God. 
3. That one day, sooner or later, they will have to confess 
their sins, or be forever damned. 4. That every sin deserves 
confusion, and hence it would be an injustice, and actual im- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 57 

penitence to refuse to submit one's self to that holy confusion 
which always accompanies true sorrow for sin. 5. That all 
the sins which they have ever committed will be openly known 
to the whole world on the Day of Judgment. For there is 
not any thing secret that shall not be made manifest, nor hid- 
den t/iat shall not be known, and come abroad (St. Luke vii. 
17). 6. That they are not afraid to speak openly to the phy- 
sician, that he may understand the cause of their sickness, and 
remove its effect ; why then should they shrink from revealing 
the dangers and wounds of their souls to their confessor, who, 
himself a sinner, will sympathize with them, and observe in 
regard to their confession the prolbundest secresy. St. Augus- 
tine says, be not ashamed to confess your sins to one man, 
when you have committed them before many. To sin is dis- 
graceful, but not to confess sin. 

What is necessary to secure the advantages of confession ? 

1. To be sincere in our confession, that is, to disclose fully 
not only our mortal sins, the kind, number, and circumstances 
of them, but also the doubts, fears, and griefs of our hearts. 
2. We must not intentionally select confessors such as the 
Prophet Isaias calls " dumb dogs ;" that is, such as would ab- 
solve any one without hesitation, but pious, learned, and zeal- 
ous priests. If we could not persuade ourselves to go to this 
or that confessor, with whom we are acquainted, it would be 
better, in that case, to go to some one who does not know us. 
It should be, however, our strict rule not to run from one con- 
fessor to another, but to have always the same one, with whom 
our confessions will be made more profitable. 

How must we approach the confessional ? 

We must suppose ourselves to be at the foot of the Cross of 
Jesus Christ, and that his precious blood is flowing to wash 
away our sins ; we must consider ourselves to be the prodigal 
son returning to his father. But we must not approach the 
confessional unless well prepared. We must, therefore, hum- 
ble ourselves before God, begging of him the grace to make a 
good confession ; we should then ask the Blessed Virgin Mary 
and our Guardian Angel to assist us. In our dress and deport- 
ment there must be nothing careless or negligent, for the sac- 

30 



58 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

rament demands that much of respect and consideration. 
Arrived at the confessional, we must kneel, cast down our eyes, 
and join our hands ; after this, we are to make the sign of the 
cross, and ask the confessor's blessing. 

In blessing the penitent, what does the confessor say ? 

May the Lord be in thy heart, and on thy lips, that thou 
mayest, in a worthy and proper manner, confess thy sins ; in 
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost. Amen. 

What are we to do next ? 

We are to receive our confessor's blessing in humility, and 
then say the Confiteor, as far as " through my fault ;" then we 
are to mention the time of our last confession, whether or no 
we received absolution, and performed the penance imposed 
on us. 

With what sins should we commence ? 

With those which we have the greatest reluctance to tell ; 
after that, we should name all the sins we can remember, 
taking care to mention their number, their different qualities, 
and the circumstances connected with each. 

What have we to say at the close ? 

And I also accuse myself generally of all the other sins which 
I may have committed, and do not remember ; I beg pardon 
of God for them ; I am sorry for them, and am resolved, by 
the help of God's grace, to sin no more. I ask pardon and 
absolution from you, father, if I am worthy of it r 

Will absolution be then immediately given ? 

No ; the confessor must first exercise his three-fold office-. 
As judge, he must decide upon the state of the penitent,, — 
whether he is worthy to be absolved or not ; he may, there- 
fore, have to inquire about things which he did not well under- 
stand during the confession. As physician, he must then pre- 
scribe what is necessary. As teacher, he must instruct and 
admonish the penitent. Here it is to be well considered, that, 
as the confessor is not allowed to reveal any thing that is said 
at confession, under pain of suspension and punishment for life, 
so it is a great sin for the penitent to make any such disclo- 
sures. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 59 

What is the form of absolution ? 

1. The priest says, "May the Almighty God have mercy on 
thee, and forgive thee thy sins, and bring thee to life everlast- 
ing. Amen." 

Then, stretching forth his right hand towards the penitent, 
he says, " May the Almighty and merciful Lord give thee par- 
don, absolution, and remission of thy sins. Amen. 

" Our Lord Jesus Christ absolve thee, and I, by his author 
ity, absolve thee, in the first place, from every bond of excom- 
munication or interdict, as far as I have power, and thou 
standest in need : in the next place, I absolve thee from all thy 
sins, in the name of the Father, -f« and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost. Amen. 

" May the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merits of 
the blessed Virgin Mary, and of all the saints, and whatsoever 
good thou shalt do, or whatsoever evil thou shalt suffer, be to 
thee unto the remission of thy sins, the increase of grace, and 
the recompense of everlasting life. Amen." 

Can the confessor forgive all and every sin ? 

Xo ; for he cannot absolve — 1. Those who have committed 
sins, the absolution of which is reserved, except in danger of 
death, to the Pope or to the Bishop. 2. No Priest in the 
world, no Bishop, not even the Pope himself, can absolve 
those who are not "fit for absolution, in consequence of not 
having true sorrow for their sins ; they«are unworthy of abso- 
lution, even in the hour of death. Such, too, is the case of 
those who, through their own fault, do not truly confess their 
mortal sins, or who have neither contrition nor a firm purpose 
of amending their life ; who refuse to forgive their enemies, or 
to restore ill-gotten goods, when they might ; who do not for- 
sake their bad habits, or the immediate occasions of sin ; who 
do not correct their public scandals ; in a word, all those are 
unfit to be absolved who refuse to comply with any part of 
their duty, to which they are obliged under penalty of mortal 
sin. If, however, the Priest should absolve them, such absolu- 
tion is null and void, and they who obtain it by deceiving their 
confessor, commit a sacrilege, and incur additional punish- 
ment. 



- 



60 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

V. On Satisfaction. 

What is satisfaction ? 

It is a faithful performance of the penance imposed by the 
Priest to whom we confess, in addition to which we have to 
impose some penance on ourselves, in order to clear us of the 
temporal punishment which yet hangs over us, to heal the 
wounds of the soul caused by sin, and to repair the injuries 
done to God, our neighbor, and ourselves. 

Has not Christ made abundant satisfaction for us ? 

Certainly ; and no man can satisfy the justice of God other- 
wise than by uniting his satisfaction to that of Christ, from 
whom ours derives its only value. But the superabundant 
satisfaction of Christ does not relieve us from the obligation of 
doing works worthy of penance. And it is not only the justice 
of God which requires such satisfaction on our parts, but also 
his love and goodness; for the works of penance deter from 
sin, are a remedy for our infirmities, and make sinners more 
cautious for the future. The reason why so many fail to con- 
tinue good after confession, is because they omit the works ot 
penance. 

What are the works by which we may satisfy God for our 
sins ? 

According to Tobias (xii. 8), and St. Ambrose (lib. 2, de 
Penit.), they are thes.e three : Prayer, Fasting, and Alms. 
'•''Prayer is good, with fasting and alms, more than to lay up 
treasures of gold.'''' By prayer is to be understood the offer 
ing up to God of our actions, with all our afflictions, whether 
corporal or spiritual ; all mental and vocal prayer, spiritual 
reading, and assisting at public prayers and the Sacrifice of the 
Mass. By fasting we are to understand all retrenchment of 
food, comfort, or pleasure ; mortifications of mind and body, 
and submission to humiliations and confusion for the love of 
God. By alms, all works of mercy, spiritual and corporal. 






THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 61 



bicjii of Nathntt), or <El)ristmas <£vt. 

Let us make him a little chamber, and put a little bed in it 
for him, and a little table, and a stool, and a candlestick, that 
when, he cometh to us he may abide there (4 Kings iv. 10). 
Thus spoke that woman of Sunam, as the Prophet Elisaeus 
approached her house, and such preparation she made for his 
reception. Shall not we do likewise for Jesus our Lord, who 
is coming to us, preparing our hearts for him to dwell in, by 
true penance, firm faith, and ardent charity ? 

O Christian ! for the love of Christ, and for thine own salva- 
tion, occupy thy mind, during this Holy Night, with holy 
thoughts and aspirations, in order to make thyself worthy of 
all the graces which Christ will grant thee on his coming. 
Consider how St. Joseph and the blessed Virgin Mary, in 
obedience to the edict of Caesar, and in perfect submission to 
the will of God, went to Bethlehem, and finding no room there, 
at last entered an open stable, which they were contented to 
take up with. Does not the Son of God deserve all our love, 
when he thus humbled himself for us ? Tender him your heart 
as an abode, in the following 

Prayer of the Church. 

O God, who givest us joy by the annual expectation of our 
redemption, grant that we may securely see him coming as 
our Judge, whom we joyfully receive as our Redeemer, our 
Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who livest and reignest with thee 
forever. Amen. 



Natitntt} of our £orb, or (Eljristmaa. 

Christmas brings before us the happy day on which, in the 
fulness of time, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer, was 
born of the ever-blessed and immaculate Virgin Mary, in the 
stable at Bethlehem. 

Why does every priest say three masses on this day ? 

1. To give thanks to the ever-blessed Trinity, who co-oper- 



62 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

atcd in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. 2. To honor the three 
births of Jesus Christ : his eternal birth, in the bosom of his 
Heavenly Father; his temporal birth, of his Virgin Mother; and 
his spiritual birth in our hearts, which he occupies by his grace. 

Why is the first Mass celebrated at midnight, the second at 
daybreak, and the third at daylight ? 

The first is said at midnight, to remind us that before Jesus 
Christ was born, the world was without the true light, and lay 
in darkness and the shadow of death. Again, it was in the 
night that he was born; and both his temporal and eternal 
births are mysterious truths, incomprehensible to our under- 
standings. Midnight masses are now generally transferred to 
a later hour, on account of the irregularities and interruptions 
which have often attended those solemnities. The second 
mass is celebrated at daybreak, because the birth of Christ 
brought light to the Gentiles, whose salvation was then nigh, 
and because, according- to tradition, it was about that hour 
that the shepherds came to see and adore the new-born Sav- 
iour. The third mass is said at daylight, because Christ dis- 
persed the darkness of ignorance, and appeared as the Light 
of the world (John i. 9 ; Isaias lx. 8). 

Of the First Mass. 
The Introit of the first Mass is taken from the second Psalm, 
and reminds us of the eternal birth of Jesus Christ : The Lord 
hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten 
thee ; vihy have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain 
things ? Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who hast made this holy night shine forth with the 
brightness of the true light, grant, we beseech thee, that we 
may enjoy his happiness in Heaven, the mystery of whose light 
we have known upon earth. Amen. 

Epistle. (Titus ii. 11-15.) 

Dearly beloved : The grace of God our Saviour bath appeared to all 
men, instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 63 

should live soberly, and justly, and godly in this world, looking for 
the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great God and our 
Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem 
us from all iniquity, and might cleanse to himself a people acceptable, 
a pursuer of good works. These things speak, and exhort, in Christ 
Jesus our Lord. 

How did the- grace of God appear to all men ? 

Through the Incarnation of his Son, whom, in his infinite 
love, he made like nnto us, to be our brother and teacher, that 
we might become children and heirs of God, and co-heirs with 
Jesus Christ. 

What does Christ teach us by his Incarnation ? 

That we should put on him, and become like unto him, as he 
became like unto us; this is done when we abandon impiety, 
infidelity, injustice, and worldly desires, and love God and our 
neighbor, though he be our enemy, for God's sake ; when, in 
fine, we live soberly, justly, and piously in this world. The 
Incarnation also shows the dignity and greatness of man, for 
as God gave his only Son for our redemption, we thereby per- 
ceive the worth of man in the sight of God. 

What does the Apostle mean by worldly desires ? 

He means by them, carnal and sensual desires and lusts, such 
as impurity, drunkenness, avarice, and such like, which war 
against the soul (2 Pet. ii. 11), and exclude us from Heaven 
(Eph. v. 5). Christ teaches us to renounce these, by the pov- 
erty, patience, fasting, and innumerable privations of his life. 

How do we live soberly, justly, and piously ? 

We live soberly when we use temporal goods according to 
the intention and w r ill of God, and to supply our necessary 
wants; we live justly when we desire for, and render to our 
neighbor, what, by the example of Christ, we are bound to ; 
we live piously when we give God his due honor, love him 
above all things, and love all men, in Christ, for his sake. 

Gospel. (Luke ii. 1-14.) 

At that time : There went out a decree from Caasar Augustus ; that 
the whole world should be enrolled. This enrolling was first made 
by Cyrinus the governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, every 



64 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

one into liis own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee out oi 
the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called 
Bethlehem : because he was of the house and family of David, to be 
enrolled with Mary his espoused wife who was with child. And it 
came to pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, 
that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born 
son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a 
manger ; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there 
were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night- 
watches over their flock. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by 
them, and the brightness of God shone round about them, and they 
feared with a great fear. And the angel said to them: Fear not; for 
behold I bring you tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people : 
for this day is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the 
city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the 
infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. And sud- 
denly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, 
praising God, and saying: Glory to God in the highest: and on earth 
peace to men of good-will. 

Why did Caesar Augustus publish a decree, that all the Ro- 
man subjects should be enrolled? 

The immediate reasons of Caesar are not known to us, but 
the result shows that it was done by the special providence of 
God, for Joseph and Mary were thus obliged to go to Beth- 
lehem, and so the prophecy of Michaeas, that the Messiah 
should be born there, was fulfilled. Hence we learn to admire 
the wisdom of Divine Providence, to trust it in every event of 
our life, and to be obedient, as the blessed Virgin Mary was 
to the decree of Caesar, or rather of God. 

Why is Christ called the first-born son of Mary ? 

Because she had no child before him ; and moreover, having 
no other after him, he is also the only-begotten of his blessed 
mother, as he was the first-born and only-begotten of his Hea- 
venly Father (Heb. i. 6). 

Why was the Saviour of the world born in a stable ? 

To show, from his very birth, that he had not come to estab- 
lish a splendid worldly kingdom, or to enjoy the riches and 
comforts of life, as many Jews supposed, but to establish a 
kingdom of grace, justice, and peace, and to lead us to imi- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 65 

tate his example of poverty, humility, and contempt of the 
world. 

Why was the birth of Christ first announced to the poor 
shepherds, and not to the high-priests ? 

The shepherds were humble and innocent persons, who 
feared God and served him in simplicity of heart ; and were 
therefore ready to recognize and adore the new-born Saviour, 
whom Herod, and afterwards the high-priest, desired to kill. 
Herein we see also that God does not distribute his graces 
according to any respect for persons : he exalts the humble, 
and humbles those who exalt themselves. O Christian, strive 
to attain humility, simplicity of heart, and filial confidence, 
avoiding pride and unbelief, if thou wouldst have Christ mani- 
fest himself to thee. 

The angels for joy praised God, and sang, " Glory to God in 
the highest ;" that is, Praise and thanks to our Heavenly 
Father for sending his only-begotten Son for the salvation of 
men ; — " and on earth peace ;" that is, Prosperity, happiness, 
salvation, and blessing " to men of good-will ;" that is, who 
have the will to accept and follow the wdll of God, declared 
by Jesus who united what sin had separated ; restoring to 
man peace with God, with himself, with his neighbor, and even 
with nature. Learn from the angels to be thankful for all the 
benefits which God bestows upon thy neighbor, and then you 
also will partake of' them. In particular, thank God to-day 
for the inexpressible benefit of the Incarnation of Jesus 
Christ. 

Of .the Second Mass. 
The Introit of this Mass reminds us of the temporal birth of 
our Saviour in Bethlehem. A light shall shine upon us to-day, 
for our Lord is born to us, and he shall be called Wonderful, 
God, the Prince of Peace, the Father of the world to come, of 
whose reign there shall be no end (Isaias ix. 6). The Lord hath 
reigned, he is clothed with beauty y the Lord is clothed icith 
strength, and hath girded himself (Ps. xcii. 1). Glory be to 
the Father. 



66 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Prayer. 
Grant, Ave beseech thee, Almighty God, that we who are 
filled with the new light of thy Incarnate Word, may show 
forth in our works what faith displays in our mind. Through 
the same Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen. 

Epistle. (Titus iii. 4-7.) 

Dearly beloved : The goodness and kindness of God our Saviour 
appeared ; not by the works of justice, which we have done, but accord- 
ing to his mercy he saved us, by the laver of regeneration, and renova- 
tion of the Holy Ghost, whom he hath poured forth upon us abun- 
dantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour : that being justified by his 
grace, we may be heirs, according to hope of life everlasting, in Christ 
Jesus our Lord. 

What does St. Paul teach us in this Epistle ? 

He teaches us both what God has done and is doing, that 
w r e may have eternal life, and why he does it : it is from his 
goodness and kindness, which never appeared clearer than in 
his Incarnation. Not by our own merits, but according to his 
mercy he has saved us by holy baptism, for we were conceived 
and born in sin. Let us show by our lives that we are renewed 
by the Holy Ghost, and animated by the hope of life everlast- 
ing. 

Why did not God have mercy on the fallen angels ? 

This is a mystery which should heighten our love to God, 
but should also fill us with fear and trembling, for if we do not 
use the goodness and kindness of God to our advantage, our 
punishment will be severer than that of the fallen angels. 

Gospel. (Luke ii. 15-20.) 

At that time : The shepherds said one to another : Let us go over 
to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the 
Lord hath showed to us. And they came with haste ; and they found 
Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in a manger. And seeing, 
they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concern- 
ing this child. And all that heard wondered: and at those things 
that were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these 
words, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 67 

glorifying and praising God, for all the tilings they had heard and 
seen, as it was told unto them. 

How could the shepherds know that the new-born child was 
the Saviour of the world? 

The angels had given them, a sign : You shall find the in- 
fant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger / 
and seeing, they believed, fell on their knees, and adored the 
child. They then praised God for the graces they had re- 
ceived, and made known what they had heard and seen to 
others. Let us imitate these pious shepherds ; let us obey 
the inspirations of God, and encourage each other by good 
examples and edifying words ; let us show our gratitude to our 
God by making the right use of the knowledge he has given 
us, and let us communicate the same to others. 

What do we learn from Mary in this Gospel ? 

That we should ponder the divine truths in our hearts, and, 
by this heavenly nourishment, strengthen and preserve our 
souls in spiritual life. 

Of the Tliird Mass. 
The Introit of the third mass reminds us of the spiritual 
birth of Christ in our hearts (Isaias, ix. 6). A child is bom to 
res, and a so?i is given to us, whose government is %ipon his 
shoulder, and his name shall be called the Angel of great coun- 
sel (Ps. xcvii. l). Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle, for he 
hath done wonderful things. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 
Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that the new birth 
of thy only-begotten Son in the flesh may deliver us, whom 
the old servitude keeps down under the yoke of sin. Through 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Epistle. (Heh. i. 1-12.) 

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times 

past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all, in these days, hath 

spoken to ns by his Son, wiiom he hath appointed heir of all things, 

by whom also he hath made the world : who being the brightness of 



b» INSTRUCTIONS ON 

his glory, and the figure of his substance, and upholding all things 
by the word of his power, making purgation of sins, sitteth on the 
right hand of the majesty on high ; being made so much better than, 
the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they. 
For to which of the angels hath he said at any time, " Thou art my 
son, to-day have I begotten thee ?" And again, " I will be to him a 
Father, and he shall be to me a Son?' 1 And again, when he bringeth 
in the first-begotten into the world he saith : " And let all the angels 
of God adore him." And to the angels indeed he saith : " He that 
maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." But to 
the Son : " Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a sceptre of jus- 
tice is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved justice, and 
hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the 
oil of gladness above thy fellows." And : " Thou in the beginning, 
O Lord, didst found the earth : and the works of thy hands are the 
heavens. They shall perish, but thou shalt continue : and they shall 
all grow old as a garment. And as a vesture shalt thou change them, 
and they shall be changed : but thou art the self-same, and thy years 
shall not fail." 

What does St. Paul teach in this Epistle ? 

He endeavors to strengthen his Jewish brethren, who had 
been converted to Christ, in their belief in him, and to show 
them the dignity and divinity of the Saviour. 

Meditation. 
How magnificently does this Epistle set forth the kindness 
and love of God the Father, who, for a teacher, has given us, 
not a prophet, but his only Son ! how beautifully does it prove 
the divinity of Christ, since God has begotten him from all 
eternity, and created the heavens and earth through him, who 
is always the same, and his throne forever and ever ! Learn, 
O Christian soul, from this Epistle, how much thou art obliged 
to love God, to trust him, and to follow Christ thy example, 
without imitating whom thou canst neither belong to his elect, 
nor have part in his redemption. 

Aspiration. 
O Heavenly Father, I thank thee with my whole heart, for 
having spoken to us through thy only-begotten Son, whom 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 69 

thou hast made better than the angels. I will, O Father of 
Mercy, listen to him with gratitude, and use his sublime teach- 
ings for the perfect enlightenment of my mind and heart. 

Gospel. (John i. 1-14.) 
In the beginning was the "Word, and the "Word was with God, and 
the Word was God : the same was in the beginning with God. All 
things were made by him, and without him was made nothing that 
was made : in him was life, and the life was the light of men ; and 
the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man 
came for a witness to give testimony of the light, that all men might 
believe through him. He was not the light, but was to give testi- 
mony of the light. That was the true light which enlighteneth every 
man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the 
world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came 
unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received 
him, he gave them power to become the sons of God : to them that 
believe in his name, who are born not of blood, nor of the will of the 
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made 
flesh, and dwelt among us ; and we saw his glory, the glory as it were 
of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 

What does St. John mean by the Word? 

He means the Son of God, who is called the Word of the 
Father, because he was begotten as the word is produced from 
the thought, but in a manner more beautiful and mysterious. 
In his divine nature he is one with the Father ; but in person 
distinct from him ; as the word spoken is at the same time one 
with him who speaks, and yet distinct from him. He is also 
called the Word, because it is through him that the Father 
has declared to us his will. 

What is the meaning of, in the beginning was the Word, &c. ? 

It means that at the beginning of the world, the Son of God 
already was, and, therefore, was begotten of his Father from 
all eternity. Thus, at the commencement of his Gospel, St. 
John teaches Christ's Eternity, Divinity, and Equality with the 
Father. 

What is the meaning of, all things icere made by the Word? 

That the Son of God, himself true God, with the Father and 



70 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

the Holy Ghost, created all things that were made, both 
visible and invisible, in perfect order and beauty (Prov. viii. 
30). 

What is the meaning of, in him teas life f 

That, as the living God, he was the Source and Fountain of 
all life ; — of the natural life, by his creation and providence ; of 
the supernatural and spiritual, by delivering us from sin, and 
sanctifying us through his holy grace, thus making us children 
of God, and heirs of eternal life. 

How was the Life the light of men f 

The Eternal Son,. who was the life, was also the light of 
men, because he was the Truth to enlighten them with the 
knowledge and love of God, that, avoiding sin and ignorance, 
they might walk with safety in the way of salvation. 

In what sense are we to understand the words, and the 
light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not compn^e- 
hend it f 

Christ made known the true knowledge of God to men who 
were in spiritual darkness, — that is, in error and ignorance, — 
but they would not receive his holy teaching. This is still the 
case with those who, notwithstanding the preaching of the 
Gospel, will not believe, and particularly with those hardened 
sinners who will not return to God, although he pours upon 
them the light of his grace to move them to penance. Alas 
for those who refuse to receive the only true light ! 

What John did the Evangelist mean by him who came to 
bear witness of that light ? 

St. John the Baptist, who endeavored by his preaching to 
prepare the Jews for the coming of Christ, and who testified 
before the whole world that he was the expected King and 
Messiah. 

How does Christ enlighten every man that cometh into the 
world? 

He enlightens us, inwardly, with the light of intellect, of 
conscience, of faith, and of grace, that we may know and do 
that which is good ; outwardly, by his words, his life, and his 
miracles, his church, and also by the teaching of the prophets, 
the apostles, and their successors. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 7 J 

What is the meaning of, he came unto his own, and his own 
received him not f 

The whole world was his own, and man, in particular, was 
his, having been created in his likeness and image. But the 
Jews were especially his own, because he had made them his 
chosen people, and had confided to them his sacred Revelation 
and his holy Law, yet they received him not ; refusing to ac- 
cept him as the promised Messiah, because he came not with 
the worldly pomp of a king, but in poverty and humility, and 
because he upbraided them for their wickedness. 

Who then did receive him ? 

They who recognized in him the Son of God and the Sav- 
iour of the world, who believed in his holy name, that is, in 
him and his divine doctrine, and who endeavored to live ac- 
cording to his teaching and example, seeking happiness and 
salvation through him. By such persons he is received still. 
But they who endeavor not to do the will of the Saviour, how- 
ever they may believe in him with their lips, in their works 
deny Jesus. Faith without works is dead. 

How are we made children of God ? 

By the grace which we receive in holy baptism, for in that 
sacrament we are spiritually born again of God, freed from sin, 
sanctified, and made his children. 

What is to be understood by, and the Word wets made 
flesh f 

We are to understand by it that the Word was not changed 
into human nature, but that he became incarnate by the Holy 
Ghost, of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, uniting in one 
person the two natures, divine and human. He was the God- 
man, who walked among men thirty-three years, marking 
every step by favors and benefits. He assumed, says St. Leo, 
the nature of man, who was to be reconciled to God, in order 
that Satan, the author of death, might be overcome by that 
same nature which he had before conquered ; and thus our 
Lord and Saviour vanquished our most cruel enemy, not in 
majesty, but in humility. 

What is the meaning of, and ice saw his glory, the glory of 
the only-begotten of the Father ? 



72 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

The Evangelist hereby indicates that lie and his fellow-apos- 
tles were permitted to see the glory of the God-man ; for in- 
stance, on Mount Thabor ; in his miracles ; in his glorious 
Resurrection and Ascension. Thus they saw him, and knew 
that he was the true Son of God, the fountain of all good, from 
which all receive life, and light, and grace (John i. 16). 

Aspiration. 

O God, Father in Heaven, who, in the form of an amiable 
child, hast given to us poor sinners this past night thy only- 
begotten Son, born of the immaculate Virgin Mary, to be our 
Mediator and Redeemer, we thank thee with all our hearts for 
this inexpressible grace, and beseech thee, of thy goodness, to 
preserve in us the perpetual memory of it, that, in all our ad- 
versities and temptations, we may have comfort and consola- 
tion, with strength to love, serve, and praise thee, in holiness 
and purity, until the last hour of our lives. Amen. 

How do good Christians spend this day ? 

After having attended the three masses, and, if practicable, 
the other services of the Church, they read, or have read to 
them, some spiritual book ; and, if they have the means, they 
clothe the child-Saviour in the naked, feed him in the hungry, 
and give alms, knowing that the poor are brethren of the infant 
Jesus. The good Christian, moreover, on this day, makes an 
act of love towards all men, whom God and his Son have so 
loved ; he occupies his thoughts with the infant Jesus in the 
crib of Bethlehem, and meditates, and sings, thanking Christ 
for his incarnation ; he contemplates the divine and human na- 
ture of the Saviour, and the condescension with which he so 
dwells in us, that it is no longer we who live, but Christ who 
liveth in us; and he finally prays for the spiritual advent of the 
Saviour in the hearts of men, that they may be re born in Jesus, 
and serve and please God in newness of life. 

Whence comes the custom of representing, in houses and 
churches, the crib of Bethlehem ? 

It is now six hundred years old, and was introduced by St. 
Francis of Assisi, avIio, having a particular devotion to the in- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 73 

font Jesus, obtained permission of the Pope to build a crib 
representing- the stable at Bethlehem, as a means of constantly 
exciting his love. The custom was afterwards generally adopted 
in Catholic Churches, because it furnished a representation by 
which children and unlettered persons were easily instruct ed 
in regard to the nativity of our Saviour, and for the same rea- 
sons cribs are sometimes set up in private houses ; it is to be 
observed, though, that for the attainment of the proper object, 
all indecent figures must be excluded. 



i 



Stinbat) after Christmas. 

Introit of the Mass. 

While all things were in quiet silence, and the night was in 
the midst of her course, thy Almighty word, Lord, came 
down from Heaven, from thy royal throne (Wisdom xviii. 
14, 15). The Lord has reigned / he is clothed with beauty ; 
the Lord is clothed with strength, and hath girded himself 
(Ps. xcii. 1). 

Prayer. 

Almighty and eternal God, direct our actions so as to be 
pleasing to thee, that, in the name of thy beloved Son, we may 
deserve to abound in good works. Who livest and reignest. 

Epistle. (Gal. iv. 1-7.) 
Brethren : As long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from 
a servant, though he be lord of all : bnt is under tutors and governors 
until the time appointed by the father : so we also, when we were 
children, were in bondage tinder the elements of the world. But 
when the fulness of the time was come, God sent his Son, made of a 
woman, made under the law: that he might redeem them who were 
under the law; that we might receive the adoption of sons. And 
because you are sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your 
hearts, crying: Abba, Father. Therefore now he is not a servant, 
but a son. And if a son, an heir also through God. 

Whom does the Apostle here intend to represent by the 
child that is an heir, but under tutors ? 
4 



74: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

He means the Jewish people before the coming of Christ ; 
they were the chosen people of God, and, as children of Abra- 
ham, were heirs of the promises of God; that is, they had 
hopes of receiving manifold graces through Jesus Christ. The 
Jews were therefore like children under age, and under the 
protection of a tutor, having claim and title to estates, but not 
yet possession ; being under the tutelage of the old law, and 
not yet having part in the grace of redemption, for which they 
were preparing. 

Are we, as Christians, really participators in the grace of re- 
demption ? 

Certainly ; as Christians who received baptism immediately 
after our birth, we thereby became partakers of the happy 
effects and graces of the incarnation and redemption of Jesus 
Christ, being in that sacrament born again of water and the 
Holy Ghost, freed from original sin, and made children and 
heirs of God. Moreover, our actual sins since baptism are 
capable of remission through the sacrament of Penance, while 
we are continually sanctified and strengthened by receiving 
the other sacraments. Thus our relation as children of God is 
restored, and he gives us the disposition of sons, which is 
shown by our addresses to him in prayer. 

How are we to understand the words, God sent his Son, 
made under the law, thai he might redeem them that were un- 
der the law ? 

St. Paul here speaks to such Christians among the Gala- 
tians as were formerly Jews, and who supposed themselves yet 
bound to keep the observances of the Law of Moses; he shows 
that Christ had delivered them from being under that Law, 
and that they had received the adoption of sons. Christ being 
come of the Jews, according to the flesh, had indeed fulfilled 
the whole Law himself, as, for instance, by being baptized and 
circumcised ; but, by his death on the cross, he dispensed with 
the Law, abolished its types and ceremonies, and redeemed 
the Jews from the curse and bondage to which it subjected 
them, delivering them thereby from sin and eternal death, in 
order that they, and all who were children of Abraham by 
faith, might be heirs of the promises and blessing given to 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 75 

Abraham, and attain the grace of justice, and the gifts of the 
Holy Ghost. We, for our part, have received still greater 
favors than the Jews, because in our ancestors Ave were con- 
verted from Paganism to Christianity, and from children of the 
devil were made by faith heirs of God. Should not such 
blessings be more prized by us than all the riches of the world ? 
Let us show how we value them, by living as children of God, 
in faith, love, confidence, patience, and innocence, shunning sin 
as the only real evil; unless we would forfeit our name and 
privileges as Christians, and voluntarily become a second time 
the slaves of the devil. 

Gospel. (Luke ii. 33-40.) 

At that time : Joseph, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were wonder- 
ing at these things, which were spoken concerning him. And Simeon 
blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set 
for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign 
which shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, 
that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed. And there was 
one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of PhanueL, of the tribe of Aser : 
she was far advanced in years, and had lived with her husband seven 
years from her virginity. And she was a widow until fourscore and 
four years : who departed not from the temple, by fastings and pray- 
ers serving night and day. Now she at the same hour coming in, 
confessed to the Lord ; and spoke of him to all that looked for the re- 
demption of Israel. And after they had performed all things accord- 
ing to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, into their city 
Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong, full of wisdom : 
and the grace of God was in him. 

Why did Mary and Joseph wonder at these things ? 

Not as if they heard from Simeon any thing new respecting 
Jesus, since they knew by repeated revelations who he was ; 
but they were filled with joyous wonder that Simeon was ena- 
bled by divine inspiration to recognize the child Jesus as the 
promised Messiah, and to say such great things of him. 

What is the meaning of, and Simeon blessed them ? 

He congratulated them on the great honor they enjoyed in 
carrying the infant Jesus in their arms, and bringing him to 



?6 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

the temple ; he pronounced words of benediction over them, 
and prayed God to bless and protect them. 

How is Christ the fall and resurrection of many in Israel ? 

He is the fall, that is, the damnation of those who do not 
receive him, though they know him to be the Saviour of the 
world ; and of those also who believe in him, and receive his 
holy teaching, but do not live according to it. If Christ had 
not come and spoken to them, they woidd not have sin, but now 
they have no excuse for their sins (St. John xv. 22). He is 
the resurrection or salvation of those who believe in him, re- 
ceive his doctrine, and live according to it. 

What is the meaning of, he is a sign which shall be contra- 
dieted ? 

This was a prophecy that Jesus Christ, his life, works, teach- 
ing, and institutions, should be the object of continual contra- 
diction on the part of sensual and worldly wisdom. It was 
fulfilled in the blasphemies and persecutions of the Jews and 
Gentiles, and is confirmed by infidels of all ages, as well as by 
those Christians who, as St. Bernard says, contradict his hu- 
mility by their pride, his poverty by their avarice, his fasting 
by their intemperance, his purity by their impurity, his zeal 
by their sloth ; thus confessing him with their lips, but deny- 
ing him by their deeds. Hereby they reveal the malicious 
thoughts of their hearts ; they are not faithful and sincere 
towards Jesus, and do not love him, for they obey not his holy 
will ; they are Christians only in name, of whom Christ is not 
the resurrection but the fall, for they are yet the slaves of sin. 

What is signified by those words, thy own soul a sword 
shall pierce? 

That on account of her Son, Mary would have to suifer such 
inexpressible pains and sorrows as should pierce her heart as 
with a sword. Time made this plain ; for how often was not 
her beloved Son pursued and persecuted ? Yet the greatest 
grief she felt must have been when she saw her Son in his suf- 
ferings and death, hanging, like a malefactor, on the cross. 

What are we to understand by the words, out of many 
hearts thoughts may be revealed? 

Simeon, inspired by the Holy Ghost, wishes to show that the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 77 

contradictions which, according to his prophecy, Jesus should 
meet with, the persecutions of his enemies, his sufferings and 
death, were necessary to bring to light the different thoughts 
and opinions of men, and to separate the true followers of 
Christ and his doctrine from such as were false and unsteady. 
Persecutions are thus necessary to try the faith of Christians ; 
sufferings and adversities must come to test our virtue and 
love towards God, to reveal the thoughts of many hearts, and 
to disclose which predominates in us, patience or impatience, 
confidence in God or distrust, resignation or discontent. 

What else is to be learned from this Gospel ? 

First, widows may learn from Anna, who departed not from 
the temple, how to serve God, by fasting and prayer, for the 
widow that liveth in pleasure is dead while she is living (1 
Tim. v. 6). Secondly, parents may learn to be careful that 
their children increase not only in skill and wealth, but rather 
in the grace of God, by living pious, edifying, and peaceable 
lives before God and men. 

Exhortation. 

To-day, O Christian, is the last Sunday in the year ; thou 
art at the end of the year ; a new year is at hand. Part not 
with the old year without earnest consideration ; this is an im- 
portant period of thy life. Ponder with care the truths and 
doctrines which the Holy Church has laid before thee in the 
Epistles and Gospels ; thank God with thy whole heart for the 
great favors and benefits which thou hast received in the in- 
carnation and birth of Jesus Christ ; examine thyself also how 
it is with thy faith, whether it is living and efficient, that thou 
mayest have the hope of being a child and heir of God ; ask 
thyself, Has Christ been during the last year my fall or my 
resurrection ? have I confessed him in heart and deed, or have 
I been only a name Christian ? With such exercises and ex- 
aminations occupy thy mind until the New Year, that thou 
mayest be prepared to begin it worthily. 



78 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Instruction on JBlessing. 

" And Simeon blessed them." — Luke ii. 24. 

What does it mean to bless ? 

To give or wish something good to any one ; in the first of 
which senses God alone blesses, because all goods of soul or 
body which we have, or wish to have, come from him ; in the 
second sense, angels and men may bless us, in wishing us 
whatever is good, and in praying for it to God. Blessing, 
says St. Ambrose, is wishing one the communication of grace 
and sanctifi cation. 

Have we examples of blessing in Scripture ? 

Yes; an angel blessed Jacob (Gen. xxvi. 29) ; Jacob, when 
dying, blessed his children and grandchildren (Gen. xlviii. 15) ; 
Melchisedech blessed Abraham (Gen. xiv. 19) ; Rebecca was 
blessed by her brother (Gen. xxiv. 60) ; and the priests blessed 
the people. Our Saviour also blessed his disciples with uplift- 
ed hands. 

Is it good for parents to bless their children ? 

Yes ; for as it is commendable for us every morning and 
evening, and at every good work, to ask God's blessing, so is 
it particularly praiseworthy for parents to bless their children ; 
for God fulfils blessings of good parents, as he did those, for 
example, of the patriarchs Isaac and Jacob. On the other 
hand, he also ratifies and confirms the curses of parents upon 
their children, as every day's experience fully shows. The 
father's blessing establisheth the houses of the children, but the 
mother's curse rooteth up the foundations (Eccles. iii. 11). Is 
it, therefore, to be wondered at that we see so many bad and 
wicked children when fathers and mothers curse instead of 
blessing them? Oh, what a lesson for parents ! 

What virtue is there in the priest's blessing ? 

Very great virtue ; because it is given in the name of the 
Church, through the merits of Jesus Christ, and comes from 
God himself, whose ministers and stewards the priests are. 
Prize, therefore, the priest's blessing, and do not destroy its 
efficacy by a sinful life. Parents should see that their children 
are blessed by the priests who may come to visit them, as the 



THE EPTSTLES AND GOSPELS. 79 

children were brought to our Saviour, that he might lay his 
hands on them, and bless them (Matt. xix. 13). 

What are the observances of the Church in regard to bless- 
ing? 

At blessings, the sign of the cross is often repeated, as being 
the instrument by which Christ's blood was shed, and through 
which he gained us all graces and blessings. Holy water is 
also used, signifying that the person on whom it is sprinkled is 
purified and dedicated to the service of God, and that the 
Church implores for him the grace of purity. Benediction of 
the Blessed Sacrament is given to the people, because it is 
through Christ alone that we receive grace and blessing from 
God. 

What is the effect of God's blessing ? 

Whoever has God's blessing will be successful in every thing ; 
he can do more with small than others with larger means. 
Wouldst thou have that blessing ? Live piously and justly, 
for the blessing of God is on the head of the just (Prov. x. 6). 
We should not, however, forget to prefer the eternal goods of 
the knowledge and grace of God, to any temporal advantages. 
For God does not always hear our prayers for worldly treas- 
ures ; riches are, besides, often ruinous, and poverty a real 
blessing. The disposal of temporal benefits, therefore, we must 
leave to God's love and benignity. 

These truths we should meditate upon at all times, but par- 
ticularly on this Sunday, the last of the year, which is a day ot 
thanksgiving, j)enance, and prayer : of thanksgiving, for all the 
benefits received, and evils averted in the year past ; of pen- 
ance, for so many grievous sins by which we have ofiended 
God ; of prayer, for the necessary blessings of the coming year. 

Oh, that on this day we might know how much God loves 
us, and whence it comes that there is so much misery and un- 
happiness in the world ! Let us return to him in love and con- 
fidence, ask him for his blessings, and keep them by leading a 
holy file. 



80 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

$£t» |)ear 1 *Dan (1st lanuarg). 

Why do we call this New Year's day ? 

Because the civil year commences on this day, as the eccle- 
siastical does on the first Sunday in Advent. 

What ought we to do on this day ? 

We must dedicate the New Year to the service of God, in 
order that, assisted by his grace, we may both commence and 
end it to his honor, and our own sanctification. 

How must we begin the New Year piously ? 

We must look back to our past life, and remember the short- 
ness of our days, and the swiftness with which time passes ; we 
must examine what passions of ours are the strongest and 
have oftenest caused us to fall. To conquer these and acquire 
the opposite virtues, should be our first resolution on New 
Year's day. When we do this with earnestness and care, ask- 
ing God's assistance, we have taken the first step in the New 
Year towards a pious and holy life. 

Why do we wish each other a happy New Year ? 

To renew love and harmony, and to fulfil an obligation of 
charity by wishes for each other's happiness and prosperity, 
which should be given not merely out of politeness, but from 
the heart, unless we would, like heathens, deserve no merits 
for our actions. 

What feast does the Church celebrate on this day ? 

The circumcision of Christ, at which he received the name 
of Jesus. But when the fulness of time icas come, God sent 
his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that he might 
redeem them that were under the laio (Gal. iv. 4, 5). 

What was circumcision ? 

It was an exterior rite of the old law, by which men were 
admitted among the chosen people, as we now enter the 
Church by baptism. 

To whom did God first give the law of circumcision ? 

To Abraham, as the seal of a covenant between God and 
him and his seed (Gen. xvii. 10), that, by strict obedience to 
his will, they might make themselves worthy of his promises 
and blessings, and finally have part in the kingdom of Christ. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 81 

Who lias abolished circumcision ? 

Christ our Lord, who established in its stead the mysterious 
sacrament of the new law, holy baptism. As circumcision 
made the law of Moses binding, so holy baptism obliges us to 
keep the law of Christ. 

What is circumcision, in the spiritual or moral sense ? 

It is the mortification of the senses, and the subjection of 
sinful inclinations and concupiscences. St. Stephen accord- 
ingly calls the obstinate Jews uncircumcised of heart and ears. 
Let us ask Jesus Christ for those graces of self-command and 
spiritual circumcision which are necessary for our salvation, in 
the following 

Aspiration. 

O my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I thank thee for hav- 
ing to-day shed thy blood for the first time for me. Grant 
me, I beseech thee, the grace of mortifying, circumcising for 
thy love, my eyes, ears, lips, hands, feet, and all my sensual 
appetites, that I may not see, hear, speak, touch, wish, or do 
any evil. Ameru 

The Introit of the Mass is the same as in the third Mass 
at Christmas. 

Prayer. 

O God, who by the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary, hast 
bestowed on mankind the rewards of eternal salvation, grant, 
we beseech thee, that we may experience her intercession for 
us, by whom Ave have been found worthy to receive the Author 
of life, our Lord Jesus. 

Epistle. — (The same as in the first Mass at Christmas.) 

Gospel. (Luke ii. 21.) 

At that time: After eight days were accomplished that the child 
should be circumcised : his name was called JESUS, which was called 
by the Angel, before he was conceived in the womb. 

Why was Christ circumcised the eighth day of his birth ? 

1. By his fulfilling the Jewish law, to teach us patience and 

40 



82 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

obedience to the law of God, and to his Holy Church. 2. To 
show his infinite love to us in the very first days of his life. 

Who gave him the name of Jesus ? 

God himself gave it to him, who came to save the world 
and sanctify us, for Jesus means Saviour. It is, therefore, that 
holy and powerful name, whereby alone we can be saved 
(Acts iv. 12). 

What power has this name ? 

A divine power ; for in this name the Apostles cast out 
devils and cured the sick (Mark xvi. 17, 18), as, for instance, 
the lame man who lay -at the gate of the temple (Acts iii. 2, 6). 
Through this name we receive from God whatever is helpful 
towards our salvation (John xiv. 13). It is well, therefore, to 
call on this holy name in adversities, in doubts, and in great 
temptations, particularly such as are hostile to purity. Even 
when so unhappy as to fall into sin, the remembrance of this 
holy name may bring us back to virtue, for it is like oil which 
enlightens, nourishes, and heals (Canticles i. 2, 3). " When I 
call on Jesus," says St. Bernard, " it reminds me of a man who 
is from his whole heart humble, mild, benevolent, sober, pure, 
and merciful ; in whom shine forth, in full splendor, ail gifts of 
sanctity and justice ; who is Almighty ; who is our God ; who 
can incite me by his example, and encourage me by his holy 
grace. All this echoes in my ear and heart, when the holy 
name of Jesus sounds in my soul." 

How must we speak this holy name, that its virtue may be 
felt? 

With the greatest devotion and veneration, and with un- 
bounded confidence ; for, as St. Paul says, in the name of 
Jesus every knee should bow y of those who are in Heaven, on 
earth, and under the earth (Phil. ii. 9, 10). How sinful, there- 
fore, is it in some to speak this name almost at every word, 
frivolously and disrespectfully ; a habit which, in this country 
particularly, is so widely and fatally prevalent. 

A devout Prayer to Jesus in our manifold necessities. 
O Jesus, Consoler and Comforter of all who are afflicted, 
thy name is truly like oil poured upon men * for thou enlight- 



THE EPISTLES ANT) GOSPELS. 83 

enest those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; thou 
takest away the blindness of the soul, and healest all its wounds ; 
thou fill est all that hunger and thirst after justice. Be, there- 
fore, O Jesus, my Saviour and Physician, and heal all the in- 
firmities and diseases of my sick soul. O Jesus, Refuge of all 
who are in need, be my Protector in temptations ; Jesus, Father 
of the poor, be my Provider; Jesus, joy of angels, be my joy 
in the hour of affliction ; Jesus, our only hope, assist me in the 
agony of death, for no other name is given to us under the 
sun, through which we must be saved, than thy most holy 
name, O Jesus. 

Exhortation. 

St. Paul, in the Epistle to the Colossians (iii. 17), admon- 
ishes us, whatsoever we do, in word or work, to do in the 
name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The saints have all followed 
punctually this admonition, and we, imitating their example, 
should often say, at least in our hearts, " For love of thee, O 
Jesus, I awake and rise ; for love of thee, I lie down to sleep ; 
for love of thee, I will eat, drink, speak, keep silence, labor, 
rest." In his name we should salute each other with those 
beautiful words: "Laudetur Jesus Christus — Jesus Christ be 
praised ;" answering : " Laudetur in aBternum — May he be 
praised forever!" 

In this manner we must accustom ourselves, whatever we 
do, avoid doing, or suffer, to do, to avoid doing, and to suffer 
in the holy name of Jesus ; thereby we can sanctify even the 
ordinary acts of our life, and either experience the benefit of 
being successful in our undertakings, or at least of gaining 
great merit by them. 

Prayer for New Yearns Day. 
O God Almighty, now that we have lived to see another 
year, we thank thy goodness and thy incomprehensible mercy, 
that, from the moment of our birth, we have escaped so many 
dangers which have threatened our health and life. Would 
that we had never abused the precious time of our life to sin ! 
but, alas! it is done, and we therefore pray thee, through thy 



84 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Son, and through the precious blood he this day shed in his 
circumcision, to look, not upon the multitude of our sins, but 
upon thy infinite mercy ; we promise to be henceforth pious, 
just, and virtuous; strengthen us in our weakness; increase in 
us faith, hope, and charity ; keep us, by thy powerful grace, 
from all sin, dangers, temptations, and adversities of soul and 
body ; enable us, we beseech thee, to offer up to thee, from 
this day henceforth till the hour of our death, all our senses, 
thoughts, words, and deeds ; to subject them all to thy holy 
will ; to oppose successfully every evil habit, and to practice 
every virtue. Grant, O Father, that we, living and dying in 
thy only true faith, may enjoy in thy kingdom, where one 
day is better than a thousand upon earth, an everlasting New 
Year of eternal haj^piness, and that we may praise thee, with 
all thy angels and saints, forever and ever. Amen. 



4First Sunbag after Nero gear's EDaj}. 

The Introit of the 3fass, the Prayer, and Epistle are the 
same as on the Sunday after Christmas. 

Gospel. (Matt. ii. 19-23.) 

At that time, when Herod was dead, behold an Angel of the Lord 
appeared in sleep to Joseph in Egypt. Saying: Arise, and take the child 
and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead that 
sought the life of the child. Who arose, and took the child and his mother, 
and came into the land of Israel. But hearing that Archelaus reigned 
in Judea in the room of Herod his father, he was afraid to go thither: 
and being warned in sleep, retired into the quarters of Galilee. And 
coming he dwelt in a city called Nazareth : that it might be fulfilled 
which was said by the prophets : That he shall be called a Nazarite. 

Who w T as Herod ? 

He was a king of the Jews, appointed by the Roman em- 
peror ; a Jew by birth, but not from the line of David : he 
was king, not by legitimate inheritance, nor yet by the choice 
of the people, but was forced upon them by a Pagan emneror. 

What do we learn by this fact? 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 85 

That the time was now fulfilled in which, according to the 
prophecies, the promised Saviour was to come ; for the sceptre 
was now taken away from Juda, and a stranger reigned over 
the Jews, 

Why was St. Joseph afraid to go to Judea ? 

Because Archelaus, who succeeded Herod, was, according 
to the historians, even more cruel than his father, and on this 
account it was that St. Joseph feared to return to Judea. In 
this difficulty he prayed to God, and was answered by an angel 
warning him in sleep to return, but to retire into Galilee. 

What are the virtues which we here see practised by St. 
Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus ? 

We observe in St. Joseph, and also in Mary, the mother of 
Jesus, a firm belief and unbounded confidence in God, through- 
out all the temptations, hardships, and dangers which they had 
to undergo on account of their child; for surely it must have 
been a hard trial to their faith that they should have to flee 
hither and thither with him, upon whom depended such great 
promises of God, who, indeed, according to the announce- 
ment of the Angel, was the Son of God himself, in order to 
save him from the pursuit of his enemies. They however re- 
mained steadfast in their belief, obedient to the commands of 
God, and submissive under their trials. 

What are we to learn from this example ? 

To preserve confidence in God, and not hesitate, although 
his counsels may sometimes be incomprehensible to us, both as 
regards the course of the world and the events of our own 
lives. We should remember that the dispensations of God are 
always wise, just, and holy, and will result in our profit if only 
we are obedient, and firm in faith, hope, and charity ; for to 
them that love God, cell things vjork together unto good (Rom. 
viii. 28). 

Why was Jesus called a Nazarite ? 

Because he was brought up in Nazareth, and lived there the 
greatest part of his life. But he was also called a Nazarite, 
out of contempt, to signify his humility and poverty ; for Naz- 
areth was a new village in Galilee, never mentioned in the old 
Law ; indeed, so insignificant and despised was it among the 



86 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Jews, that It was proverbial to say, Can any thing of good 
come out of Nazareth? (John i. 46). Now the prophets had 
predicted often that the Messiah would live in poverty, and -be 
despised of men (Isa. liii. 1, 11; Zach. i. 3, 8, 9); they had 
also predicted that he was to be holy, and " Nazarite" means 
as much as " holy " — " he that is dedicated to God." It also 
signifies " flower ;" and was not he the flower from the root of 
Jesse ? 

Prayer. 

O my Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus of Nazareth, who didst 
subject thyself to travel as a fugitive upon earth, with no rest- 
ing-place in which to remain in safety, yet hast now thy throne 
at the right hand of thy Father in the majesty of God, teach 
me to consider this world a foreign land, and my life that of a 
pilgrim, that in thee and thy Father I may find my home. 
Strengthen me by thy grace to prepare myself worthily for the 
land of eternal happiness, and receive me, when I leave this 
world, into thy glory, where thou livest and reignest with the 
Father and the Holy Ghost, for all eternity. . Amen. 



What mystery does the Church celebrate to-day ? 

She celebrates to-day a threefold mystery : 1. The arrival in 
Bethlehem of the wise men from the East to adore the new- 
born Saviour ; 2. The baptism of Jesus in the Jordan ; 3. The 
first miracle of Jesus at the wedding in Cana. 

Why is this festival also called " the Three Kings' Feast ?" 

Because, according to a very old tradition, those wise men 
from the East were the three kings, Caspar, Melchior, and Bal- 
thazar. 

Why is this festival called Epiphany, or the manifestation ? 

Because, in those three events just mentioned, Jesus mani- 
fested himself not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles, as 
the expected Messiah, the Redeemer of the world, and the 
beloved of his Heavenly Father. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 87 

Why was Jesus baptized by John ? 

1. To be like us ; 2. To confirm and approve the baptism 
administered by John, and to sanctify water by touching it 
with his most holy body. The appearance of the three divine 
persons at his baptism, was to indicate that baptism should be 
administered in the name of the most Holy Trinity. 

The Church sings to-day with joy at the Introit, Behold the 
Lord the Ruler is come, and a kingdom in his hand, and 
power and dominion (Mai. iii. l). Give to the king thy judg- 
ment, O God, and to the king's son thy justice (Ps. lxxi. 2). 

Prayer. 
O God, who didst on this day reveal thy only-begotten Son 
to the Gentiles by the guidance of a star, grant in thy mercy 
that we who know thee now by faith, may be brought to be- 
hold the beauty of thy majesty. Through the same Lord. 

Epistle. (Isaias lx. 1-6.) 
Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem : for thy light is come, and the 
glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold darkness shall cover 
the earth, and a mist the people : but the Lord shall arise upon thee, 
and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall walk 
in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thy 
eyes round about, and see : all these are gathered together, they are 
come to thee : thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall 
rise up at thy side. Then shalt thou see and abound, and thy heart 
shall wonder and be enlarged, when the multitude of the sea shall be 
converted to thee, the strength of the Gentiles shall come to thee. 
The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Madian 
and Epha : all they from Saba shall come, bringing gold and frankin- 
cense : and showing forth praise to the Lord. 

Of what does the prophet here speak? 

He foretells the future manifestation of the light of the Lord 
Jesus to Jerusalem, which was a type of the Church, and that 
by that light the Gentiles, who hitherto had walked in dark- 
ness, should come from the east, and from the west, and enter 
together with the Jews, into the one Church of Christ. 

Was this prophecy fulfilled ? 



88 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Yes ; the wise men who came from the East seeking the 
Saviour, and who found and adored him in Bethlehem, were 
the first fruits of the Gentiles. During the ministry of Christ 
on earth many more believed on him, and after his death, res- 
urrection, and ascension, more of them than of the Jews were 
converted by the preaching of the Apostles. 

What does the prophet mean by saying, lift up your eyes and 
see? 

That Jerusalem, the Church of Christ, should lift up her 
eyes, and see all those that are gathered together, and come 
to her ; and as a mother rejoices in beholding her children, so 
should she be glad at seeing so many sons and daughters come 
from afar, and grow up at her side, to know and serve God. 
On this day we also should rejoice, and praise and thank God, 
that by the calling of our forefathers, who were Gentiles, we 
too have been called to the true religion. Let us recognize, 
therefore, in those wise men who adored Christ, the first fruits 
of our race ; let us celebrate with joy this beginning of the 
hope of our salvation, for thereby have we commenced to enter 
into the eternal inheritance ; while the truth rejected by the 
blind and stubborn Jews, has shed its light upon all nations. 
Give praise, ye heavens, and rejoice, earth / ye moun- 
tains, give praise with jubilation, because the Lord has com- 
forted his people, and will have mercy upon his poor ones 
(Isa. xlix. ]3). 

Gospel. (Matt. ii. 1-12.) 

When Jesus, therefore, was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the 
days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the East to 
Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews ? For 
we have seen his star in the East, and are come to adore him. And 
king Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him : 
and assembling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, 
he inquired of them where Christ should be born. But they said to 
him, In Bethlehem of Juda : for so it is written by the prophet: 
" And thou Bethlehem, the land of Juda, art not the least among the 
princes of Juda : for out of thee shall come forth the captain that 
shall rule my people Israel." Then Herod, privately calling the wise 
men, learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 89 

to them; and sending them into Bethlehem, said : Go and diligently 
inquire after the child, and when you have found him, bring me word 
again, that I also may come and adore him. Who having heard the 
king, went their way : and behold, the star which they had seen in 
the East, went before them, until it came and stood over where the 
child was. And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great 
joy. And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary 
his mother, and falling down, they adored him ; and opening their 
treasures, they offered him gifts ; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 
And having received an answer in sleep that they should not return 
to Herod, they went back another way into their country! 

Why did the wise men come from afar to seek the Savionr in 
Jerusalem ? 

They lived in Arabia, which was mostly populated by the 
children of Abraham, and, either by verbal communication 
with those Israelites, or because they themselves were not un- 
acquainted with the Scriptures of the Old Testament, had 
acquired some information of the prophecies of Israel, particu- 
larly of the noted prophecy of Balaam, A star shall rise out 
of Jacob, and a sceptre spring up from Israel (4 Numb. xxiv. 
17), which was the more significant to them, because they 
were, as their name denotes, skilled in astronomy. But prob- 
able as the above account may be, it is not sufficient to explain 
their having had such a firm and persevering faith ; but to 
these human considerations must be added the light of divine 
inspiration : as St. Leo says, " the star shone also in their 
hearts," — a beautiful example for us to follow without delay, in 
spite of all difficulties and hardships, the inspirations of divine 
grace ; to pursue, with zeal and perseverance, the things 
necessary for our salvation, and to do the will of God without 
fear of men. Would it not be shameful and humiliating if we, so 
near to Jesus, should do less for him than those who come from 
afar ! 

Why was Herod troubled, and all Jerusalem with him ? 

Herod was troubled, because he was proud, imperious, and 
cruel, and consequently afraid both of losing his kingdom, 
which he had bought from the Romans, and of being punished 
for his tyranny. A bad conscience is always trembling, and 



90 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

has no peace. The icicked are like a boisterous sea (Isa. Ivii. 
80). Many of the inhabitants of Jerusalem were also troubled, 
because, as friends of Herod, they feared that under a new 
king they would lose their offices, dignities and riches ; others 
were troubled by anticipations of disturbance and rebellion, or, 
perhaps, because they thought the expected Messiah would be 
a severe Master, and a reformer of their corrupt habits and 
manners. But the well-disposed Jews were full of joy, because 
the expectation of the Gentiles and the hope of Israel was ful- 
filled. 

What can we learn from this ? 

That the same truth causes joy to one, and fear and terror 
to another. 

Why did Herod assemble the chief priests and scribes ? 

To inquire from them when, and where the Messiah should 
be born. Here again the finger of God was visible. Those 
persons were obliged to state the circumstances which were to 
attend the birth of the Messiah, and this they do with great 
correctness, and yet do not believe on him. What then could 
excuse their hardness of heart ? In like manner, God often 
gives us the grace to understand the most beneficial truths, 
but we heed them as little as the Jews, who had sufficient 
knowledge of the Saviour, and were even shown the way to 
him by the wise men, yet made no use of their knowledge, and 
went to ruin. The same will happen to us if we do not carry 
out into deeds what we ourselves know and teach to others. 

Why did Herod say he would come and adore the child ? 

He said it out of dissimulation and hypocrisy ; in truth, lie 
desired nothing else than to murder Jesus ; therefore he in- 
quired so minutely the time and place of his birth ; and, that 
he might realize his wish, the crafty hypocrite simulated piety. 
After the same manner do those murderers of souls act, who 
try to seduce and destroy innocence. They must not appear 
as wolves, for that would be to make their wicked intentions 
at once known ; they come, therefore, in the clothing of sheep, 
appearing pious and devout, until by flattery and presents 
they creep into the heart, from which they banish shame, fear 
of God, innocence, and even Christ himself. Innocent souls, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 91 

beware of such wolves in the clothing of sheep; and you, 
parents, guard your children from such men. 

Why did the wise men fall down and adore Jesus ? 

It was the custom of the East to fall down before kings, to 
show respect for them ; and, as the three wise men, by divine 
inspiration, knew the child Jesus, notwithstanding his poverty 
and swaddling-clothes, to be the expected Messiah, and the 
new-born king of the Jews, they accordingly paid him the 
honor customary in their country, by prostrating themselves 
before him. We also, guided by the light of our holy religion, 
believe firmly in the real presence of Jesus in the most holy 
Sacrament of the Eucharist ; but do we always, like the wise 
men, follow the divine inspiration, and show our veneration for 
the Son of God in church ? 

What was the significance of the presents which they offered 
to the Saviour ? 

Like their falling down before him, the offering of presents 
was also in the East a part of the honor paid to kings. " Be- 
hold," says St. Fulgentius, " what they offered, and you may 
see what they believed." The holy fathers of the Church 
interpreted these gifts in the following manner : in offering 
gold, the wise men honored the infant Jesus as King ; in frank- 
incense, as God ; in myrrh, as suffering Man. 

How can we offer to Jesus similar gifts ? 

We can present him with gold, by giving up to him, in sin- 
cere love, perfect obedience, and continual mortification, what 
we value most, our will ; also by giving alms in his name to the 
poor. We can present him incense in fervent and devout 
prayers ascending to heaven ; and myrrh, by mortifying the 
flesh, rooting out lust and concupiscence, and by preserving 
purity of body and soul. 

Why did the wise men return to their own country by an- 
other way ? 

Out of obedience to the command of God, who had, by an 
angel, made known to them the evil designs of Herod. Here- 
by we learn : 1. That God can easily frustrate human purposes, 
and that justice and virtue will triumph in the end. 2. That 
we should obey God rather than man. 3. That, if we have 



92 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

sought and found God, we must, after our conversion, take 
another course than that which we followed before. If we 
have wandered from God and heaven, our true home, by sen- 
sual pleasure, pride, indifference, we must return to him forth- 
with, by penance, self-denial, and mortification. 

Aspiration. 
Give to me, O my divine Saviour, the faith of these wise 
men ; enlighten my understanding with the light which en- 
lightened them ; but move my heart also, that I may follow 
that light, and sincerely seek thee, and thee only, who didst 
first seek me. Grant that I may find and adore thee, with the 
wise men, in spirit and in truth, offering to thee, like them, 
gold in my obedience and alms, incense in my prayers, myrrh 
in my penances and mortifications, that after having brought 
thee the offerings of my faith on earth, I may adore thee in thy 
eternal glory. Amen. 

On the use of Incense. 

Was incense used in Church in ancient times ? 

Yes ; the fourth of the Apostolical Canons proves that it was 
used in the first three centuries. St. Ambrose also speaks of 
it ; and the antiquity of its use is witnessed to by its constant 
prevalence in all churches in the world. 

Why does the Church use incense at High Mass ? 

To do an act of homage to God as our Sovereign, and to 
signify our desire that our prayers should ascend as sweet 
incense in his sight. We scatter incense around the altar, to 
pray Jesus, represented by the altar, to receive the prayers 
which are represented by the incense. 

Why are the cross upon the altar, and the missal incensed ? 

We incense the cross, as the object of our veneration, re- 
ferring thereby the honor to Jesus Christ himself; and the 
missal, to show our reverence for God's word, and to sig- 
nify the sweet odor that is shed from heaven on them that 
keep it. 

Why is the altar first incensed, and afterwards the congre- 
gation of the faithful ? 



the epistles and gospels. 93 

To signify the union which exists between Jesus, as the 
Head, and the faithful as the members of his mystical body. 

Why do we incense bishops and priests ? 

As a mark of the honor and respect due to them as the rep- 
resentatives of Christ. 

Why do we incense relics, and the bodies of the dead ? 

To testify our respect for those bodies of saints which have 
been sanctified by the sweet odor of divine grace ; and to 
honor the memory of those who have died in the true faith, 
while we offer up the incense of our prayers for them. 



.first Sunbag after Qzjripfyans. 

At the Introit of the Mass the Church animates us to adore 
and obey God, willingly and joyfully. Upon a high throne 1 
saw a man sitting, whom a multitude of angels adored, sing- 
ing together, Behold him, the name of whose empire is eter- 
nity (Dan. viii). Sing joyfully to God, all the earth : serve t/ie 
Lord with gladness (Ps. xcix. 2). Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, in thy heavenly mercy, the 
prayers of thy suppliant people, that they may both see what 
they ought to do, and may be enabled to do what they see. 
Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Romans xii. 1-5.) 

Brethren : I beseech you, by the mercy of God, that you present 
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your reasonable 
service. And be not conformed to this world : but be reformed in 
the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and 
the acceptable, and the perfect will of God. For I say, through the 
grace that is given me, to all that are among you, not to be more wise 
than it behoveth to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety, and accord- 
ing as God hath divided to every one the measure of faith. Tor as in 
one body we have many members, but all the memhers have not the 
same office: so we being many are one body in Christ, and every one 
memb.is one of another in Christ Jesus our Lord. 



94: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

How can we present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and 
pleasing to God ? 

By keeping the body and its members clean from all sin ; 
serving God with soul and body. The body is the habitation 
of the soul, and an instrument of the human spirit. The soul 
is the mistress of this habitation, the mover and employer 01 
that instrument. The soul, therefore, must govern ; not the 
body. The soul must be the barrier to the body's sensual in- 
clinations ; must subdue, regulate, and subject them to the law 
of God. Thus to serve God, with our soul and body, is our 
reasonable service, and the vocation of every Christian. 

What is the meaning of the words, and be not conformed 
to this world? 

That we are bound not to follow the principles and manners 
of the children of this world ; not to love what they love ; not 
to do what they do. This is an indispensable lesson for every 
Christian, who, without putting it into practice, cannot be a 
disciple of Jesus Christ ; he must cease to be the old man, and 
become the new man, whose thoughts are in heaven. To ac- 
complish this, he wdll have to ask his conscience often, what is 
good, pleasing to God, and perfect ? Above all, humility is 
here alike necessary to the most considerable and the most 
insignificant persons. 

Why, and in w r hat sense, does the Apostle warn Christians 
not to be more icise than it behoveth to be wise f 

This he meant for certain Christians who envied others, and 
were dissatisfied because they had not the same clear knowl- 
edge in religious truths as those on whom God had bestowed 
greater gifts. He also warns those who had received in abun- 
dance the gifts of faith and prophecy, not to be arrogant, but 
humble. This is a lesson for those of the present day, who 
think themselves more vrise than it behoveth to be wise ; who 
wish to penetrate and comprehend the mysteries of religion, — 
for example, the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. We must 
subject our understanding to faith, and be wise unto sobriety ; 
we must not exalt ourselves, or make account of our talents, or 
religious knowledge, for God has divided to every one the 
measure of faith. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 95 

What does St. Paul mean by the comparison of one body 
and many members t 

He means that we Christians belong all to one body, the 
Church, the head of which is Christ. Now, as all the members 
of the body work for its welfare, so should Christian, minister 
to the wants of all in the Church. One should join the other 
in the work of salvation ; should instruct or punish, warn, ad- 
monish, or correct, as there is occasion for it. This is true 
love, such as we ought to have, one for another, and happy are 
we when we thus love in word and deed. 

Aspiration. 

Grant, O Jesus, that I may present my soul and body a 
living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to thee, by mortification, hu- 
miliation, and contrition, and that I may never defile them by 
impurity, gluttony, lust, vanity, or pride; give me also thy 
grace, O my Saviour, to love my neighbor as myself, for we 
are one body in Christ, and each one members of one another. 

Gospel. (Luke ii. 42-52.) 

"When Jesus was twelve years old, they going up to Jerusalem ac- 
cording to the custom of the feast, and having fulfilled the days, when 
they returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem ; and his parents 
knew it not. And thinking that he was in the company, they came 
a day's journey, and sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaint- 
ance. And not finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking 
him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in 
the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them and ask- 
ing them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his 
wisdom and his answers. And seeing him, they wondered. And his 
mother said to him : Son, why hast thou done so to us ? behold thy 
father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said to them : 
How is it that you sought me? did you not know that I must be 
about my Father's business ? And they understood not the word 
that he spoke unto them. And he went down with them, and came 
to Nazareth : and was subject to them. And his mother kept all 
these words in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age, 
and grace with God and men. 



96 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Why did Joseph and Mary go to Jerusalem with Jesus ? 

Every Israelite had to appear three times a year before the 
Lord in the place which he had chosen : at the feast of un- 
leavened bread, at the feast of weeks, and at the feast of taber- 
nacles. This place was, since the time of Solomon, in the 
temple which he had built at Jerusalem. Accordingly, when 
Jesus was twelve years old, his mother, the blessed Virgin 
Mary, and his foster-father, St. Joseph, took him along with 
them to Jerusalem, he being then apparently strong enough 
to accompany them. 

What are we Christians to learn by this ? 

That we should go willingly to church, particularly on Sun- 
days and holy-days, and remain there to assist at the public 
services, with inward and outward devotion. Neither distance 
from the church, nor the difficulty of the way, should prevent 
our attendance. If, however, the state of our health, or do- 
mestic affairs, should not permit us to go, we should make our 
devotions at home, by prayers, and by reading in this, or some 
good book. All parents should learn from Joseph and Mary, 
who took the child Jesus with them to Jerusalem, to bring 
their children to church and school, and to keep them to their 
prayers and the other exercises of religion by word and deed. 

How came it that Jesus remained in Jerusalem ? 

Among the Jews it was a custom to go to their feasts in 
large companies, or caravans ; such a company it was that Jo- 
seph and Mary joined, there being in it many of their friends 
and relatives, as appears by the Gospel, among whom, on their 
leaving Jerusalem, they thought that Jesus still remained. It 
was not through the carelessness of the parents, but by the 
design of divine Providence, that Jesus was left behind in the 
temple, to arrest the attention of the doctors, and of the peo- 
ple ; to show himself there in his wisdom and dignity, and to 
make known, for the first time, the object of his divine mission. 
Accordingly, he spent several days there, attending the inter- 
pretations of the law given by the doctors, and astonishing all 
who heard him, by his wisdom and his answers. 

What lesson does the infant Jesus give us ? 

That we also should attend the instructions of religion, the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 97 

sermon, and catechism, to learn what we ought to know in 
regard to our salvation. Jesus was not only engaged in prayer 
to his Heavenly Father, he also listened attentively to the ex- 
planation of the law ; there are, therefore, two important du- 
ties in the house of God : to pray, and to receive instruction. 
Would that all Christians discharged these two duties faith- 
fully. 

Why did Mary and Joseph seek Jesus so diligently ? 

" Out of fear that Jesus, whom they loved infinitely, might 
have forsaken them" (Origen) ; by which we learn how care- 
ful we should be, lest we lose Jesus by committing sin ; should 
we, though, be so unhappy as thus to lose him, we must be 
eager to find him again, by penance. The parents of Jesus, 
by the pains they took to seek and find him, particularly teach 
and rebuke those parents who trouble themselves less about 
the education of their children, than about temporal goods; 
who never care whether their children are in good or bad 
company ; whether they learn what will be useful to them or 
not ; and who, for a worldly gain, as, for instance, a miserable 
living, even allow them to have intercourse with wicked per- 
sons. From such parents God will one day demand the souls 
of their children, with the severest justice. 

How was it that his parents understood not the words that 
he spoke to them ? 

Although they did not understand the whole meaning oi 
those words, they apprehended something divine in them, 
since they knew by revelation that Jesus was the Son of God, 
and would be the Redeemer of the world ; but the whole mys- 
tery of Christ, as it was revealed by the Holy Ghost to the 
Apostles (Ephes. iii. 5) ; the manner in which he was to fulfil 
the purpose of his Father, and save his people, was not yet 
made known to them. To the others, also, who were present, 
and who were astonished at his wisdom and answers, those 
words were very mysterious. Such, however, as kept them 
in their hearts, as Mary did, might, after eighteen years, 
easily understand, and even use them for their own salva- 
tion. 

Why did Mary say, " Son, why hast thou done so ?" 



98 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

She wished to give her Son, who was blameless, not a re- 
proof, but a proof of her maternal love. Mary's conduct, how- 
ever, reminds parents of the duty of attending to their children, 
and of punishing them when they are wrong. Heli, who did 
not chastise his children when they deserved it, was himself 
punished by God with a sudden and terrible death (1 Kings 
iii. 13, 14; iv. 18). 

What do we learn by those words, and Jesus was subject to 
them f 

That children should obey their parents ; for the Scripture 
says, Obedience is better than sacrifice, and to hearken better 
than the fat of rams (1 Kings xv. 22). But disobedience is 
in the sight of the Lord equal to idolatry. When the God- 
man was thus subject to his poor mother and foster-father, who 
was a plain mechanic, all those children should justly blush 
who are ashamed of, or refuse to assist in their old age, pov- 
erty, or distress, the parents from whom, after God, they re- 
ceived their life. If the Scripture says, Cursed be he that 
honoreth not his father and his mother, and all the people 
shall say, Amen (Deut. xxvii. 16), how much greater punish- 
ment will those children receive who despise, mock, and desert 
them ! The eye that mocheth at his fat/ier, and despiseth the 
labor of his mother in bearing him, let the ravens of the valley 
2rick it out, and the young eagles eat it (Prov. xxx. IV). And 
when God commands to stone disobedient children (Deut. xxi. 
20, 21), what punishment do they deserve who strike their 
parents, or forcibly lay hands on them ? Should they escape 
in this world, their punishment will only be the severer in the 
next. 

What is the meaning of those words, and Jesus increased in 
wisdom, and age, and grace f 

That works of wisdom and grace shone forth in Jesns ac- 
cording to his age, and appeared more and more plainly in the 
sight of God and man. In this respect Jesus leaves to youth 
the most beautiful example, from which they should learn to 
spend the earlier and better years of their life in the cultiva- 
tion of their minds and hearts, in order to become useful in the 
Church and in the State. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 99 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, Source of grace, who, in the twelfth year of thine 
age, didst permit thyself to be sought by thy parents in the 
temple of Jerusalem, and wast subject to them as an example 
to us, grant us grace, we beseech thee, to apply ourselves 
zealously to the affairs of our Heavenly Father, or rather to 
the most important affair of our salvation ; to bear willingly 
the yoke of thy holy law from our youth, and to be always 
obedient and subject to thy Church, to our parents, and supe- 
riors. Guard and direct Christian youth, that they may fear 
and love God, and early know their duty to him. Watch over 
them, O Jesus, that they may not grow up to a sinful life of 
ignorance and lawlessness. Give parents grace to bring up 
their children according to thy will, and to walk before them 
in the way of good example. Assist us all, that we may never 
lose thee, or, if we have lost thee, may seek thee diligently till 
we find thee ; and, in possessing thee, may grow in wisdom, 
grace, and virtue, until finally we arrive at that perfection 
which shall secure us eternal happiness. Amen. 

Instruction on the Duties of Parents. 

ii And when Jesus was twelve years old, Joseph and Mary went up to Jeru- 
salem, according to the custom of the feast." — Luke ii. 42. 

The Gospel of the day teaches the fundamental duties of 
parents to their children. In order to bring up children re- 
ligiously, parents must teach them as early as possible to know 
God as their Father and Benefactor, from whom they receive 
every thing ; to love him, obey his commandments and prohi- 
bitions ; to believe that he is everywhere present, and to pray 
to him with a filial heart. It is also the duty of parents, while 
their children are of tender age, to repress their outbreaking 
passions and subdue their stubbornness, for this can hardly be 
done later, when, with the growth of the body, the passions 
also have grown stronger. How much are those parents to 
blame who allow their children every thing in their early 
years, merely to quiet their impatience, and soothe their bad 
temper ! 



100 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

When children are old enough to attend regular instruction, 
it is the duty of parents to send them to mass, to catechism, 
and school ; Christian parents also generally ask them what 
they have heard in the sermon or instruction ; make them 
read, on Sundays and holy-days, in good books, sing Christian 
songs, and converse piously. If possible, they should pray 
with their children every morning and evening, and instruct 
them to say a grace before and after each meal ; to make a 
good intention every morning, and particularly to remember 
the examination of conscience every evening ; this should never 
be omitted. They should see that the children, after making 
their first communion, continue to go to confession and com- 
munion once a month, or, at the longest, once in two or three 
months, for this is the most efficacious means to keep them 
from vice and advance them in virtue. And as pious parents 
thus try to implant in their children the principles of a Chris- 
tian life, so they will not fail, on the other hand, to remove all 
that endangers and opposes it. Accordingly, they will not 
allow the larger children to sleep with them, nor suffer those 
of opposite sexes to be in one bed ; they do not let their neg- 
lect of prayer pass uncensured, nor permit them to run about 
in idleness and mischief at night ; they do not tolerate unbe- 
coming plays or dances, nor permit the daughters either to 
stay up alone in the company of young men, or go to balls, 
except on extraordinary occasions, and even then only in com- 
pany with their mothers, or some trustworthy persons who 
will not let them stay too long, or be accompanied home by 
young men. 

Christian parents will banish from their houses heretical and 
superstitious books and indecent pictures; they will not know- 
ingly allow cursing and swearing, idleness, tale-bearing, or 
vanity in dress. If their children are about to marry, they 
will take care that the betrothed never meet alone, much less 
live together. To preserve a true Christian mind in their chil- 
dren, parents must set them a good example, and admonish 
them in season. They should often repeat to them what the 
saintly Queen Blanche said to her little son Louis, "My child, 
I had rather see you die than offend God by one mortal sin." 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 101 

Thus far, then, we have the first duty of parents ; how great 
and important is it, for every thing depends upon a truly good 
education. If that is neglected, God will demand from parents 
the souls of the children whom he has given them. 

2. The second duty of parents to their children is watchful- 
ness. Admonitions, warnings, good example, and other means, 
all will be of no avail without watching. Parents must take 
pains to know whether their children attend the instructions 
provided for them ; must observe what they learn ; whether 
they go to church ; with whom they associate ; what books 
they read ; what are their predominant passions ; what they 
do when alone, and what in company. In this way they will 
soon come to know the faults of their children, and will be 
able the more easily to correct them. 

3. The third duty of parents to children is, to punish them. 
There are persons who appear to see no faults in their chil- 
dren, as if they were perfection, but good parents do not think 
so ; for they know too well that the heart of man is, from his 
youth, inclined to evil, and are therefore determined to dis- 
cover and correct their children's faults ; for this purpose, they 
use all the means which reason and religion furnish — such as 
admonitions, warnings, and, if nothing else will answer, even 
the harder punishments of privations and the rod ; in adminis- 
tering which, however, they take care not to be angry, scold, 
or curse, so as to give the children an occasion of learning evil ; 
but they do what is necessary, quietly and constantly, remem- 
bering the proverb, "He who spares the rod, loves not his child." 

On the Duties of Children to their Parents. 
" And he was subject to them." — Luke ii. 51. 

Children owe their parents — 

1. Filial veneration, from the obligation of which neither 
office nor high position can exempt them ; for parents are the 
representatives of God himself. Children should, therefore, 
never meet their parents with rough and insolent words, but 
with such only as are dutiful and becoming, and this even 
when they may think themselves to have been unjustly dealt 



102 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

with ; they should never despise, nor be ashamed of their pa- 
rents, for Jesus was not ashamed of his, though poor and 
humble. 

2. In the second place, children owe their parents punctual 
obedience, and this in all things that are not sinful ; particu- 
larly such as relate to the salvation of the soul. Seeing that 
parents incur, in this regard, such an awful responsibility, 
should good children be displeased at the desire of parents to 
save their own souls, and those of their offspring ? 

3. Tender and practical love is the third duty of children to 
parents. Next after God, their parents are children's greatest 
benefactors. What love, what care, what sacrifices, what pri- 
vations, what sleepless nights, have they not cost their parents 
from their earliest days ? Children should, therefore, remem- 
ber well how much they owe for all this devotion, and how 
justly they will make themselves liable to the curse of God, if 
they act unlovingly towards father or mother ; if they strike 
at them ; disown them ; or leave them to suffer in time of 
want. They should consider, too, what so many examples in 
Holy Scripture show (such as those of Tobias, of Joseph, and 
of others) — what a blessing they will receive for their filial 
love. Children should assist their parents in their domestic 
affairs as much as they can, and give to them in their old age, 
affectionately and abundantly, whatever they need. Good 
children never divulge the faults of their parents; they love 
them too well to expose them to the contempt of others ; in 
sickness they wait on them, calling in the priest and the phy- 
sician, and neglecting nothing either in regard to their tem- 
poral or eternal welfare ; after death, they have them decent- 
ly interred, and never forget to pray for them. 

If all children would behave thus, what a change there 
would be in Christian families ! 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 103 

Instruction on the Church Service. 

" They found him in the temple." — Lul:e ii. 46. 

" A living sacrifice your reasonable service." — Bom. xii. 1. 

Into how many kinds may we divide the divine service ? 

Into three — public, private, and domestic ; to each of which 
every Christian should give his best attention. 

What is it to serve God in public? 

To take part in the divine service as celebrated by the bish- 
ops, priests, or other ministers of the Church, and to show our- 
selves before men as worshippers and servants of God. 

Of what is the public divine service composed ? 

Of the sacrifice of the mass, prayer, singing, making the 
sign of the cross, the use of incense, sermons, the dispensing of 
sacraments, processions, blessings (as of candles at Candlemas, 
of baptismal fonts, on the vigils of Easter and Pentecost), and 
of other rites. 

Are we bound to assist at the public service ? 

Yes ; and for various reasons : 1. It is a duty of justice to 
God, who, on account of his infinite greatness, majesty, love, 
and manifold perfections, deserves that we should worship him 
publicly in the congregation, and serve him with .veneration, 
love, and gratitude. 2. Christ has here given us an example, 
by attending the public service of the temple when he was 
twelve years old ; and he himself instituted the sacraments, 
and the holy sacrifice of the mass. 3. The Church strictly en- 
joins us to attend her public services on Sundays and holy- 
days of obligation. 4. Care for the salvation of our souls, and 
true love for ourselves, require of us this attendance, for there 
it is that we are instructed in the truths and duties of our 
religion ; are incited to good works ; are consoled in our suf- 
ferings ; are elevated to heaven by the ceremonies of the 
Church ; are edified by the good example of others ; and par- 
ticularly, drawn to love of our neighbor, since we all appear in 
church as one family, children of one and the same Father, 
redeemed by the blood of Christ. 5. Love to our neighbor 
also enforces this duty ; since it requires us to set a good ex- 
ample to others, and they who are not present at church give 



104: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

scandal, which must be the greater when they, who thus show 
their contempt for the Church services, are parents, and even, 
it may be, respectable and learned persons. 

Are family devotions also necessary ? 

Certainly ; every family should assemble to pay the duty of 
worship to God. Thus the Saviour, in communion with his 
disciples, often prayed and worshipped his Heavenly Father. 
Family worship is of great benefit ; it causes the household to 
live and work together in love and harmony ; it promotes fer- 
vor in prayer, guards against immorality, animates to virtue 
and piety, and brings down the blessing of God on the house. 
What a beautiful custom would it be, if, as our pious ancestors 
did, fathers and mothers nowadays would say morning and 
evening prayers with their families, and at times would read 
to them from some good book ; or, which would be of the 
greatest advantage, go over with them the instructions of ser- 
mon and catechism. 

What is private devotion ? 

It consists in meditation and oral prayer by ourselves, in re- 
tirement ; to testify to God our veneration for and dependence 
on him. Care for our souls, the admonitions and example of 
our Saviour, alike urge us to pray often. The whole life of a 
Christian should indeed be a continual prayer; that is, he 
should pray ivithout ceasing, by performing all his works to 
the honor of God, and according to his holy will. 



0£C0ttb Sunbag after (gpipljant). 

At the Introit the Church invites us to thank God for the 
Incarnation of his only-begotten Son : " Let all the earth adore 
thee, and sing to thee, God ; let it sing a ]ysalm to thy 
name, thou the most high y all earth sing to the Lord ; praise 
his name, bring him. praise and honor. Glory be to the 
Father. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 105 

Prayer. 

Almighty, eternal God, who disposest and governest all 
things in heaven and earth, hearken, we beseech thee, to the 
humble petitions of thy people, and give us thy peace, through 
Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Epistle. (Rom. xii. 6-16.) 

Brethren having different gifts, according to the grace that is given 
us, whether prophecy, to be used according to the proportion of faith ; 
or ministry, in ministering; or he that teacheth, in doctrine, he that 
exhorteth in exhorting, he that giveth with simplicity, he that ruleth 
with carefulness, he that sheweth mercy with cheerfulness. Let love 
be without dissimulation. Hating that which ia evil, cleaving to that 
which is good. Loving one another with the charity of brotherhood, 
in honor preventing one another. In carefulness not slothful. In 
spirit fervent. Serving the Lord. Rejoicing in hope. Patient in 
tribulation. Instant in prayer. Communicating to the necessities of 
the saints. Pursuing hospitality. Bless them that persecute you: 
bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that rejoice, weep with them 
that weep. Being of one mind one towards another. Not minding 
high things, but consenting to the humble. 

What are those gifts of which St. Paul here speaks ? 

They were various ; some being extraordinary gifts of the 
Holy Ghost, such as the gift of prophecy, by virtue of which 
certain persons were enabled to declare the mysteries of the 
iaith in the words of inspiration, and to predict future events; 
others again, had the gifts requisite for different offices, as, for 
example, the deacons, who had care of the poor ; the bishops 
and priests, to whom belonged the duty of teaching and ex- 
horting. 

What does the Apostle teach us by mentioning these various 
gifts ? 

That God has confided these offices and gifts to those who 
receive them, as talents, which they must employ in wisdom, 
and according to his will, — that is, for the glory of God and 
the salvation of souls. That no one might endanger his own 
soul by neglect of his office, the Apostle warns them against 
faults and imperfections in the discharge of their duty. 

5* 



106 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

How must one act in the administration of an office ? 

He must see that he discharges it with conscientious solici- 
tude to stand well with God. The superiors of a congrega- 
tion or house should, therefore, examine themselves whether 
they give satisfaction in all and to all ; they should avoid 
pride, hatred, and imperiousness, giving their orders in humil- 
ity, and simplicity of heart, and their admonitions in prudence, 
kindness, and love. How amiable would all superiors and 
parents appear in their offices, if they meet their inferiors ac- 
cording to the advice of St. Paul, in mercy and love, without 
dissimulation. 

What other lessons does the Apostle give us in this Epis^ 
tie? 

That we should hate that which is evil, and love that which 
is good ; that we should love one another with brotherly love, 
and practise works of mercy. This love includes also respect, 
courtesy, and affability, in which we should anticipate each 
other ; we should not be slothful in our duties, but solicitous 
and fervent, as in the service of God ; the hopes which we de- 
rive from our religion should fill our hearts with joy, strength- 
en them in adversities, and preserve them in patience. We 
should also co-operate with the grace of God ; and that we 
may have assistance from above to do so, should pray instant- 
ly. All these exhortations should produce in us perseverance 
in faith, hope, and charity. 

Who are these saints whom Christians are to assist in their 
necessities ? 

They are their brethren ; for Christians in general are thus 
called saints, firstly, because the Christian religion leads to 
sanctity ; and, secondly, because in the first period of Christian- 
ity, to be a Christian and to be a saint were almost the same 
thing. We must, therefore, minister to the necessities of our 
Christian brethren, practising hospitality and charity. 

What does the Apostle mean by those words, rejoice with 
them that rejoice, &c. ? 

That we should take part in their happiness and misfortune ; 
rejoicing in their prosperity, consoling and assisting them in 
sufferings. If we admire such sympathy in any man, how 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 107 

much more lovely does it become in the Christian ! To pre- 
serve brotherly love, the best means is humility, by which we 
avoid thinking more of ourselves than of others, and become 
capable of doing justice to their talents and good qualities, 
meeting them with respect, amiability, and kindness, — thus 
mutual peace will be preserved, while among the proud are 
always contentions (Prov. xiii. 10). 

Practical Instructions for Superiors. 
They must expect a severe judgment who seek offices only 
for the sake of emolument, forcing a way into them, either 
without the requisite qualifications, or, if possessing them, 
caring little for their duty, and regarding bribes and presents, 
rather than justice. Of such God complains through Isaias, 
saying to the Israelites, Thy princes are faithless, companion 
of thieves : they all love bribes, they run after rewards : they 
judge not for the fatherless, and the widow 's cause cometh not 
in to them (Isaias i. 23). JBut, alas, horribly and speedily will 
God appear to them, for a most severe judgment shall be for 
them, and they shall be mightily tormented. 

Aspiration. 

O God, give us thy grace to follow faithfully what St. Paul 
teaches us of humility and charity, that we may have compas- 
sion on all who are in need, and not exalt ourselves above our 
neighbors, but, humbling ourselves with the humble, may 
merit, with them, to be exalted. Amen. 



i 



(John ii. 1-11.) 

At that time: There was a marriage in Oana of Galilee: and the 
mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and his dis- 
ciples, to the marriage. And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus 
saith to him : They have no wine. And Jesus saith to her : Woman, 
what is to me and to thee? my hour is not yet come. His mother 
saith to the waiters : Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye. Now 
there were set there six water-pots of stone, according to the manner 
of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece. 
Jesus saith to them : Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled 



108 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

them up to the brim. And Jesus saith to them : Draw out now and 
carry to the chief steward of the feast. And they carried it. And 
when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew 
not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water ; 
the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, and saith to him : Every 
man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, 
then that which is worse : but thou hast keep the good wine until 
now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Oana of Galilee, and he 
manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him. 

Why was Jesus with his mother and disciples present at the 
wedding ? 

1. In order there to reveal his majesty, and by that means 
to establish and confirm the belief in his divinity. 2. To show 
that marriage is pleasing to God. 3. To let us understand 
how pious the bridegroom and bride were. Would that all 
who are about to enter into matrimony might thereby learn 
that only the fear of God, a Christian life, and a clear con- 
science, will make them worthy of the presence of Jesus at 
their wedding, and gain them God's blessing ; while a life of 
sensuality and pleasure will drive God from them, and make 
their marriage unhappy. 4. To teach us that those pleasures 
are permitted which are in accordance with reason and Chris- 
tianity, and neither sinful nor leading to sin. Yet how can 
those weddings be counted among innocent pleasures where 
pride displays itself, and excesses of every kind are committed ? 

Why did Mary intercede for the bride and bridegroom 
when the wine was failing ? 

She was sorry for them, for she is the mother of mercy, and 
the tender-hearted mediatrix of the afflicted and destitute. 
Besides, the number of the guests had been considerably in- 
creased by the presence of Jesus and his disciples, so that the 
wine was not sufficient for all. To this, therefore, the mother 
of Jesus directed his attention, wishing, perhaps, to save the 
bridegroom and bride expense, on account of their being poor. 
By this we learn to help the poor, particularly those who are 
too modest to beg, and if we have not the means of helping 
them ourselves, to obtain help for them, by recommending 
them to such as are willing and able ; and, in our own need, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 109 

to "address ourselves to Mary, the mother of mercy, at whose 
intercession the Saviour wrought his first miracle. 

What is the meaning of the words, woman, what is that to 
me and thee f 

According to the idiom of the Hebrew language, they mean 
as much as, " Mother, be not anxious ; I will provide the wine 
as soon as the hour, appointed by my Father, is come." His 
mother evidently so understood his answer, for she said to the 
waiters immediately after, Whatsoever he shall say to you, do 
ye. Jesus, therefore, did not offend Ins mother by saying, Wo- 
man, what is that to me and thee, but he thus gave her, and all 
who were present, to understand that he had not received the 
power of working miracles as the son of woman, but that he 
possessed it as the Son of God, and should use it according to 
the will of his Father. He thus teaches us to await, in all 
things, the time appointed by God, and to act, in whatever 
concerns his honor, without human respect, and with refer- 
ence only to the divine will. 

Why does Jesus command the wine to be carried to the 
chief steward of the feast ? 

1. To preserve order, and avoid any misuse of the wine 
among the guests. 2. To let the chief steward taste it, that, 
by his announcing and certifying the miracle, the disciples of 
Jesus and all present might believe in him. 

Aspiration. 

I thank thee, Jesus, for the grace of knowing thy divinity ; 
grant that I may persevere in this knowledge till death, in 
order to enjoy the contemplation of thy Godhead in eternity. 

Instruction on the Sacrament of Marriage. 

What is marriage, and why has God instituted it ? 

Marriage is a free and mutual union for life between two 
single persons, established by God for the propagation of the 
human race, for the mutual assistance of the parties in the 
trials of life, and for the prevention of impurity (1 Corinth, 
vii. 2). It is also a means of educating children honestly, and 
of instructing them well, particularly in matters of faith. Jesus 



110 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Christ has added to marriage a particular dignity and conse- 
cration, in making it a sacrament. 

Is matrimony, then, a sacrament ? 

Yes ; for St. Paul calls matrimony a great sacrament in 
Christ and in the Church (Eph. v. 32) ; and, according to the 
holy fathers, the Church has held matrimony for a sacrament, 
from the time of the Apostles until now, which she would not 
have done had not Christ raised it to that dignity. 

What is the outward sign of grace in the sacrament of matri- 
mony ? 

The contract, or mutual union, of the bride and bridegroom 
before the pastor, or, with his permission, before any other 
priest, in the presence of two witnesses. Those who are en- 
gaged to be married must be single, and free from any im- 
pediment. 

What grace is received in this sacrament ? 

1. Sanctifying grace; 2. Grace to keep matrimonial fidelity 
inviolate ; 3. Grace to give children a Christian education ; 
4. Grace to suffer patiently the troubles unavoidable in mar- 
ried life, and to live together peaceably ; 5. Grace to assist 
each other in obtaining salvation. How much do married 
persons need these graces, to fulfil their mutual obligations ! 

How must persons prepare themselves to obtain these 
graces ? 

1. By living in the fear of God, and in purity; for these vir- 
tues will procure the grace and benediction of the Lord. 2. By 
invoking the Holy Ghost, to know whether they are called to 
that state or not. 3. By acquiring the virtues necessary for 
matrimony, with sufficient knowledge of the obligations of our 
holy religion, and of matrimony. 4. B}^ regarding, in their 
choice, a Christian heart, a gentle disposition, purity, diligence, 
love of order, and regularity, rather than beauty and wealth ; 
for without these virtues, married life becomes a hell. 5. By 
cleansing their conscience by a good confession — a general con- 
fession on that day is recommended — and by receiving worthily 
holy communion. The persons to be married should also assist 
at the mass, with the greatest devotion, that their union may 
be sanctified by the holy sacrifice, and that God may give them 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. Ill 

grace to begin their married life with the proper dispositions, 
and to perform faithfully its obligations. 

With what intention must one enter into holy matrimony ? 

With such intention as is suitable to the reasons for which 
matrimony was instituted ; like Tobias, who said, -Lord, 
thou knowest that not for fleshly lust do I take my sister to 
wife, but only for the love of posterity, in which thy name 
may be blessed forever (Tobias viii. 9). If persons would enter 
into matrimony in this manner, it would be holy, pleasing to 
God, and blessed ; then the words of St. Paul would be veri- 
fied, The wife shall be saved through child-bearing, if she con- 
tinue in faith, and love, and sanctification, with sobriety (1 
Tim. ii. 15). If, on the other hand, persons seek marriage to 
satisfy fleshly lusts, excluding God from their thoughts, they 
thereby commit a mortal sin, and the devil gains power over 
them (Tobias vi. 11). 

Why are there so many unhappy marriages ? 

For the reason that many do not prepare themselves suf- 
ficiently, but contract marriage imprudently and indiscreetly ; 
sometimes without knowing each other well enough ; some- 
times without any prospect of a subsistence. Some are un- 
happy because they live in sin until the very day of their 
marriage, and perhaps commit sacrilege at that sacrament by 
making a bad confession, and by receiving holy communion 
unworthily ; some do not think of asking God for light, and 
grace, and blessing ; others again make themselves drunk on 
the day of their marriage, even before going to church, ridi- 
cule the sacrament, and keep their wedding with excesses and 
scandals, greater than those of the Gentiles. 

Do parties betrothed sin by living together as man and wife? 

Certainly ; for they thereby live in fornication, and bring 
down upon themselves the just w 7 rath of God. A mere prom- 
ise of marriage is not marriage, as some seem to think. To 
avoid this sin, the Church does not allow parties betrothed to 
live under one roof. 

Why are the banns of marriage published on three succes- 
sive days ? m . 

In order that, if any impediment exists, such as consanguin 



112 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ity or affinity, or if the parties, being under age, desire to be 
married without the consent of their parents, it may be made 
known to the pastor, and thus illegal marriages be prevented. 
In case of impediment, the parties may apply for dispensation, 
but must not try to procure it fraudulently. When consan- 
guinity or affinity, within the prohibited degrees, exists, the 
parties should be warned against such marriages, for they are 
seldom happy. 

How is the sacrament of Matrimony administered ? 

The persons to be married kneel before the altar, when the 
priest usually addresses them briefly on the importance and 
obligations of matrimony ; exhorting them to mutual fidelity, 
and calling upon them, in the presence of the two witnesses, to 
express their mutual consent; after which he says: "I join 
you in matrimony, in the name of the Father, «f, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." Then the ring is bless- 
ed, in the following manner : 

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. 

H. Who hath made heaven and earth. 

V. O Lord, hear my prayer. 

R. And let my cry come unto thee. 

V. The Lord be with you. 

R. And with thy Spirit. 

Let us pray. 

Bless, •}• O Lord, this ring, which we bless in thy name, that 
she who shall wear it, keeping inviolable fidelity to her spouse, 
may ever remain in peace and in thy will, and always live 
in mutual charity. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

The priest then sprinkles the ring with holy water, and the 
bridegroom taking it, puts it on the fourth finger of the left 
hand of the bride, saying, "In the name of the Father, and of 
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." 

Why are the bride and bridegroom blessed by the priest? 

That they may receive from God, through the prayers of the 
Church (when there is no obstacle in mortal sin), peace, health, 
and happiness, with special grace to bear patiently every cross 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 113 

of married life, to rear children in accordance with the law of 
religion, and to fulfil faithfully their duties to each other. 

Why do the parties mutually give each other the hand and 
ring? 

As a token of the union they enter into, before God and his 
Church, and of the obligation they contract to be faithful to 
each other till death, and to assist each other in adversity. 

What ought they to do after the administration of the sac- 
rament ? 

To thank God for the grace therein given them, and to 
pray, " Confirm, O God, this which thou hast wrought in us, 
that we may keep, until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
what we have now promised before thee." They should re- 
mind themselves also of their duties, as explained by the priest, 
and of the admonitions given before marriage. These instruc- 
tions are taken from St. Paul's Epistle to theEphesians (ch. v.), 
in which he represents the union of Christ and his Church as 
a pattern for their life. 

1. Thus, as Christ is with his Church until the end of time, 
so married persons should be faithful to each other as long as 
they live, endeavoring to preserve unity and peace, and inciting 
each other by word and example, to the praise of God, and 
the observance of his holy commands. 

2. The husband, in particular, should look upon his wife as 
his consort, not his servant. Although he is the head of the 
woman, he must not do her any injustice, as by treating her 
cruelly, or striking her, for the head never hurts the body. 
Besides, the husband represents Jesus Christ, who compares 
himself to a lamb, and who loved his Church, and died for it : 
so ought husbands to love their wives. 

3. But wives should be subject to their husbands in all 
things that are good. For as the Church is subject to Christ, 
so also let women be to the husbands in all things — sin except- 
ed (Eph. v. 24). They should also, for the sake of their hus- 
bands, bear patiently and cheerfully the trials and adversities 
of life, as the Church bears so many persecutions and crosses, 
for Christ's sake. 

4. Both husband and wife should think and speak well of 



114 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

each other ; neither one distrusting the acts of the other, but 
putting the best construction on them. Talebearers they 
should avoid, as they would serpents, not allowing them to 
enter the house. Abusive words and insults from one to the 
other should never be heard, nor murmurs and repinings ; but 
all disagreements should be adjusted in mildness and love. 
The husband will correct a wicked woman better by kind and 
friendly words, than by cursing and striking ; and the wife will 
win over her wicked husband sooner by silence and patience, 
than by quarrelsome and sharp answers. Should reproof 
make an evil worse, it is better then to be still and wait ; and 
as the blessing of God depends upon peace and harmony, each 
should yield to the other, enduring faithfully till death, and 
saying, " God has patience with the disorderly life of my wife 
or my husband, I will bear it too. God bears with me a sinner, 
why should not I bear with others ?" 

5. If the married persons have no children, or if God takes 
them away, they should not mourn immoderately ; for he 
knows best what to do, and what he does is right. It is far 
better to have no children, or to have them in heaven, than to 
see them grow up in sin and wickedness. 

6. The marriage debt should not become a scandal to others, 
least of all to the children. Marriage honorable in all, and 
the bed undefiled (Heb. xiii. 4). Let the husband render the 
marriage debt to his wife, and the wife also in like manner to 
her husband (1 Cor. vii. 3), but always according to the law of 
God. Alas for those who try to prevent one object of holy 
matrimony, the procreation of children. In the holy Scrip- 
tures there is a man (his name was Onan) branded as wicked 
because he thus sinned against the order of nature, for which 
he was punished with instant death. 

7. Finally, they should keep inviolably that mutual fidelity 
which they solemnly promised before God. For as Christ had 
but one spouse, so should the bride have but one bridegroom, 
and the husband love only his wife ; to turn to another, and 
even to desire another in heart, would be adultery, and adul- 
tery God will judge (Heb. xiii. 4). 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 115 

Prayer. 

most amiable Jesus, who didst work thy first miracle at 
the wedding of Cana, by changing water into wine, thereby 
revealing thy divine power and majesty, and honoring matri- 
mony, grant, we beseech thee, that marriage may be kept 
honest and holy by thy faithful people, by living in modesty 
and the fear of God ; that so they may gain for themselves 
and their children the everlasting joys of heaven. Amen. 

Instruction on Mixed Marriages. 

What are mixed marriages ? 

Those in which the parties are of different religions. 

Are such marriages valid ? 

Yes, if no impediment exists. According to the doctrine of 
the Church they are also indissoluble. She, however, disap- 
proves of them, and in some cases declares them sinful. 

Why does the Church thus oppose mixed marriages ? 

Because the Catholic party is thereby exposed ' to the dan- 
ger of neglecting, and becoming indifferent to his religion ; or 
rather, as experience shows, of apostatizing from it. He that 
loveth danger shall perish in it (Ecclus. iii. 27). 2. Because 
it is to be feared that the children will be brought up in some 
other than the true religion. For even though the non-Catho- 
lic party may have promised that the children shall be brought 
up in the Catholic Church, still various circumstances, death 
for instance, may hinder the fulfilment of that promise. JBut 
if any have not care of his own, and especially of those of his 
house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel 
(1 Tim. v. 8). And even when the children are brought up 
in the Catholic faith, their education will always be deficient, 
because the father and mother evidently cannot agree as to the 
most important affair in life, that is, as to religion. 3. Because 
such married persons could not pray, or receive holy com- 
munion together, or even use the same food at meals — the 
Catholic being bound to fast and abstain, on certain days, from 
flesh-meat, but not the Protestant. 



116 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

What other reasons are there why persons should be dis- 
suaded from mixed marriages ? 

1. The uncertainty, to the Catholic, of receiving the neces- 
sary grace of the sacrament of Matrimony. 2. The advantage 
which the Protestant has, in being able to get a divorce and 
marry again, during the life of the other party, which a Catho- 
lic cannot do. 3. The scandal frequently given to the congre- 
gation by such marriages. 4. The grief which they cause to 
parents, brothers, sisters, relatives, and particularly to pastors, 
who are responsible for the souls of their parishioners. 

Why is it that, notwithstanding all these objections and dan- 
gers, so many enter into mixed marriages? 

For such reasons as the following: 1. Some seek in matri- 
mony the satisfaction of lust, being carried away by blind and 
sensual passion. 2. Many again, before marriage, have already 
become indifferent about religion, and think little of having 
children brought up for Heaven. 3. Or they are intent on 
worldly advantages, such, as having riches, honor, influential 
relatives ; forgetting these words of Christ, What doth it pro- 
fit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his 
ovm soul f or what exchange shall a man give for his soul f 
(Matt. xvi. 26.) 4. Or they refuse to see the danger and un- 
lawfulness of mixed marriages, and only acknowledge their 
imprudence when they can no longer change their position. 

It is the duty of the righteous to avoid evil ; of the prudent, 
to shun danger ; of the saint, not to communicate with the 
wicked ; of the wise, to learn from the experience of others ; 
but it is the act of a fool to throw himself into the fire. Sam- 
son was the bravest of men ; Solomon the wisest ; Ahab the 
most powerful ; but each of them fell by strange women. 

Upon what conditions does the Church allow mixed mar- 
riages ? 

Upon condition that the children, without regard to sex, 
shall be brought up in the Catholic Church, and that the Cath- 
olic party shall be protected in the exercise of his religion. 

What are we to think of mixed marriages where none, or 
only a portion of the children, are to be brought up in the 
Catholic Church? 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 117 

Such marriages could not be solemnized by any Catholic 
priest, because the Catholic party would not enter into matri- 
mony with the right intention, and therefore would be un- 
worthy of the grace of God. 

What is to be observed by Catholics who are parties in 
mixed marriages ? 

They must, 1, be firm in their faith ; for Christ says, Every 
one that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him 
before my Father, who is in Heaven (Matt. x. 32, 33). And 
if he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen 
and the publican (Matt. xvii. 17). They must, 2, bring up 
their children carefully in the Catholic religion, so as to be 
able to say on the day of Judgment, "Behold, here are all 
thou gavest me, and none perished through my fault." They 
must, 3, try by word and deed to bring over the other party 
to the truth, as it is in the Catholic Church, remembering 
what St. James says : My brethren, if any of you err from the 
truth, and one convert him, he must know that he who causeth 
a sinner to be converted from the error of his way, shall save 
a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins (James 
v. 19, 20). They must not, 4, either through persuasion or by 
threats, be led to deride or slander the Catholic Church, her 
ceremonies, or precepts. 

What shall we think of Catholics who get married out of the 
Church ? 

They not only give scandal, but exclude themselves from the 
sacraments. If they desire to return to the Church, they must 
obtain absolution from the Bishop, and perform the penance 
imposed by their pastor. 

Instruction on the Feast of the 3fost Holy Name of Jesus. 

This feast was, in former times, kept on the feast of the Cir- 
cumcision of our Lord, but was afterwards transferred to the 
14th of January, and finally, at the request of the emperor 
Charles VI., was fixed by Pope Innocent XIII. in the year 
1721, on the second Sunday after Epiphany. This festival 
comprises, as it w T ere in one, all the feasts of our Lord, as the 



118 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Holy Name of Jesus (Saviour) brings before us all the love 
of him who healed and sanctified us. To remind us frequently 
of the mystery of the incarnation, Pope John XXII. had al- 
ready, in the year 1316, introduced the Angelus Domini, or 
Angelic Salutation, and had attached an indulgence to the 
Christian salutation, " Laudetur Jesus Christus — Jesus Christ 
be praised." There exists in the Church, also, the custom, so 
old as to have the force of a law, of showing our veneration 
and love for the Holy Name of Jesus, by bowing our heads 
when we hear it spoken. 

At the Introit of the Mass, the Church points us to the 
greatest proof of divine goodness, that we were redeemed be- 
cause the God-man for our sake humbled himself to that death 
on the cross, for which he was glorified by his Heavenly 
Father. 

In the name of Jesus let every hiee how of those that are in 
heaven or earth, or under the earth, and let every tongue con- 
fess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the 
Father (Phil. ii. 10, 11). Lord our Lord, how wonderful 
is thy name in the whole earth/ (Ps. viii. 10.) 

Prayer. 
O God, who hast appointed thine only-begotten Son the 
Saviour of mankind, and hast commanded that he should be 
called Jesus, mercifully grant that we may enjoy in Heaven the 
blessed vision of him whose holy name we venerate upon 
earth. Through the same our Lord. Amen. 

Epistle. (Acts iv. 8-12.) 
In those days : Peter, tilled with the Holy Ghost, said : Ye princes 
of the people and ancients, hear : If we this day are examined con- 
cerning the good deed done to the infirm man, by what means he 
hath been made whole, be it known to you all, and to all the people of 
Israel, that by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom 
you crucified, whom God hath raised from the dead, even by him this 
man standeth here before you whole. This is "the stone which was 
rejected by you the builders; which is become the head of the cor- 
ner." Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other 
name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 119 

Explanation. 

Who could believe that Peter, who a few months back was 
induced by a servant to deny his Saviour, should here speak so 
openly ? Thus it is that we speak when filled with the Holy 
Ghost. Happy he who in such manner repairs his faults! 

The words, Jesus is the stone which was rejected by you 
builders, mean, that the Jews did not acknowledge him to be 
the Saviour, but despised and crucified him; nevertheless he 
became the head of the corner, uniting Jews and Gentiles in 
one Church, in whom alone can we be saved. For he only can 
free us from the chains of sin and error with which every one 
is bound, for he alone is the Truth. He only, as the Son of 
God, has power to destroy sin and make us truly just, and the 
just only can be saved. Let us, therefore, love him, and seek 
our salvation in him ; then we shall confess and glory in his 
holy name, and proclaim forever the praise of the Lord, our 
Saviour and Redeemer. 

Gospel. — (As on the Feast of the Circumcision, or New 
Year's day.) 

Words of St. Bernard on the Most Holy JVame of Jesus. 

The name of Jesus excites in us holy thoughts, fills our 
hearts with noble sentiments, strengthens virtue, begets good 
works, and nourishes pure desires. Every kind of food leaves 
the soul dry, unless seasoned with the salt and oil of this name. 
If, therefore, you are about to write books, write first the name 
of Jesus ; or else, without that name, they will have no charm 
or attraction for me. The name of Jesus is honey in our 
mouths, light in our eyes, flame in our hearts. This name is a 
cure for all diseases of our souls. Are you sad? Think of 
Jesus, speak out his holy name, and the clouds will vanish, and 
peace come down anew from heaven. Have you sinned, so 
that in despair you fear the nets of death ? invoke the name oi 
Jesus, and you will feel how soon life returns. Xo obduracy, 
no weakness, no cold of the heart can resist it. There is no 
heart which will not soften and open in tears at the name oi 
Jesus. Are you surrounded by dangers and tribulations? 



120 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

name Jesus, and your uncertainties are at an end. No man, 
in however great need, and even at the point of despair, ever 
invoked this powerful name, without receiving great assistance. 
It was given to cure all our evils, to temper the violence of 
anger, to quench the fire of concupiscence, to quiet the motions 
of pride, the pain of our wounds, the thirst of avarice, the fever 
of passions, and the propensities of lust. 

In repeating this Holy Name we bring before our minds that 
most humble and gentle heart of Jesus, from which we have 
learned our ideas of the most tender mercy that ever appear- 
ed. The name of Jesus, the most pure, the most holy, the 
most noble, the most merciful of mankind, the God-man, the 
name of Holiness itself, and of all graces and virtues! To 
think of Jesus is to think of the great and infinite God, who 
having given his life as an example to us, will also give us the 
grace to follow him, in word and deed. The name of Jesus, 
penetrating the heart, enriches it w T ith heavenly virtue. We, 
therefore, say with St. Paul, If any man love not our Lord 
Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha (l Cor. xvi. 22). 



&l)irb Stmbajj after (Epipljatu). 

The Church, knowing that she cannot sufficiently love and 
praise God, at the Introit of the Mass invites all angels to 
praise him, in the words of David from the 96th Psalm : Adore 
God, all you his angels : Sion heard, and teas glad., and the 
daughters of Juda rejoiced. The Lord hath reigned, let the 
earth rejoice, let many islands be glad. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 
Almighty and eternal God, mercifully look upon our infirmi- 
ties, and extend the right hand of thy majesty for our protec- 
tion. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Rom. xii. 16-21.) 
Brethren : Be not wise in your own conceits. To no man render- 
ing evil for evil. Providing good things not only in the sight of God, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 121 



as much as is in 
my dearly 



t>nt also in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as inn 
you, having peace with all men. Not revenging yourselves, » v v.^.i, ,j 
beloved ; but give place unto wrath, for it is written : " Revenge to 
me : I will repay, saith the Lord." But " if thy enemy be hungry, give 
him to eat; if he thirst, give him to drink ; for doing this thou shalt 
heap coals of fire upon his head." Be not overcome by evil, but over- 
come evil by good. 

Why should we not be wise in our own conceit ? 

It would not agree with humility, which teaches us to ac- 
knowledge our own ignorance. We must, therefore, profit by 
the judgment of others, and ask of God all knowledge and 
wisdom. Self-esteem and pride would lead us to manifold 
sins, against which St. Paul warns us in the above Epistle. 

How can we have peace with all men ? 

If we carefully avoid every thing by which peace is destroy- 
ed, and do all we can to preserve harmony, and prevent dis- 
cord. Whoever loves peace, will be very cautious in his opin- 
ions, his sayings, and doings ; he will remove from his heart all 
unfounded suspicion, and rash judgment; he will not offend 
others in words, nor speak disrespectfully of the absent ; ho 
will watch over himself and suppress his anger ; when offended, 
he will either defend himself quietly, and without passion, or 
else remain silent. He will meet every one with meekness and 
affability, and, being in peace with all around him, will be a 
peacemaker when dissensions break out among others. How 
amiable is such a peaceable Christian! Blessed are the peace- 
makers, for they shall be called the children of God (Matt. 
v.9). 

How are those words to be understood, it is written, Revenge 
to me : I icill repay, saith the Lord f 

They mean, that God alone has the right to revenge, but 
not man ; and as revenge is a retaliatory punishment of evil, 
they who revenge themselves interfere with the right of God. 
We should not harbor thoughts of revenge at the least offence : 
it is only a sign of weakness, as it is a sign of a feeble stomach 
not to be able to digest its food. " Are you impatient," says 
St. Ambrose, " then you will be conquered : but do you suffer 
in patience, then you will be conqueror." 



122 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

What must we do then when our honor is attacked ? 

It cannot be in any case an indifferent matter what opinion 
others have of our character, for our happiness and success in 
life may be greatly affected thereby. When, therefore, an 
injury by others brings serious consequences upon us, it is not 
only permissible, but even a duty, to defend, with the assistance 
of the civil authorities, if need be, our honor and good name. 
In matters of less importance we should leave our assailants to 
God, according to the admonition of the Apostle. 

Is it wrong to wish our neighbor the evil that he wished us ? 

Certainly ; for it is contrary to the law of God, who com- 
mands us to love our enemies, to do good to them that hate us, 
and pray for them that persecute and calumniate us (Matt. v. 
44 ; Luke vi. 35). 

How are we to heap coals of fire on the heads of our ene- 
mies f 

When, according to the will of God, we render good for 
evil, thereby confounding our enemies and causing them to 
burn with shame ; for how can they be indifferent, when they 
see that, instead of getting angry at their insults, we remain 
quiet and peaceable, and return good for evil ? St. Augustine 
explains the above words as follows : " You will heap burning 
coals of love on his head, for nothing sooner begets love than 
to meet one with love." 

Learn, therefore, from Christ and the saints, not to be over- 
come by evil, but to overcome evil with good ; that is, to do 
good to them that hate and calumniate us. 

Aspiration, 

Enable me, O Heavenly Father, so to follow these admo- 
nitions of St. Paul, in regard to the love of my enemies, that I 
may be thy child, who makest thy sun to shine upon the evil 
and upon the good. 

Gospel. (Matt. viii. 1-13.) 

At that time: When Jesus was come down from the mountain, 
great multitudes followed him ; and hehold a leper came and adored 
him, saying: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 123 

Jesus, stretching forth his hand, touched him, saying: I -will, be thou 
made clean. x\nd forthwith his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus 
saith to him : See thou tell no man ; but go show thyself to the priest, 
and offer the gift which Moses commanded for a testimony unto them. 
And when he had entered into Capharnaum, there came to him a 
centurion, beseeching him, and saying : Lord, my servant lieth at 
home sick of the palsy, and is grievously tormented. And Jesus saith 
to him: I will come and heal him. And the centurion, making an- 
swer, said: Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my 
roof; but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed. For I 
also am a man subject to authority, having under me soldiers ; and I 
say to this, Go, and he goeth, and to another, Come, and he cometh, 
and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. And Jesus, hearing this, 
marvelled ; and said to them that followed him : Amen I say to you, 
I have not found so great faith in Israel. And I say to you that many 
shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abra- 
ham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: but the chil- 
dren of the kingdom shall be cast out into the exterior darkness : there 
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said to the cen- 
turion, Go, and as thou hast believed, so be it done to thee. And the 

servant was healed at the same hour. 

j 

Why did the leper say to Jesus, Lord, if thou wilt, thou 
canst make me clean? * 

He believed Jesus to be the promised Messiah, who, as true 
God, had the power to heal him. Hereby we learn to place 
our confidence in the all-mightiness of God, who is a helper in 
trouble (Ps. xlv. -2). But when we pray, we must be careful, 
like the leper, not to prescribe to God what he shall give us, 
but commence our prayers with these words, '•''Lord, if thou 
wilt — if it be pleasing to thee, and advantageous to me, give 
me this or that grace. 

Why did Jesus stretch forth his hand and touch him? 

Jesus, without doubt, thereby gave him to understand that 
his leprosy was to be healed. Let us also imitate the example 
of Jesus, by assisting each other in sickness, not allowing our- 
selves to be kept back from this work of charity by aversion or 
excessive delicacy. 

Why did Jesus say, Twill, be thou made clean f 

To reveal his all-mightiness, and to show that all things were 



124 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

subject to him. He hath spolcen, and it teas done y he hath 
commanded, and it was created. 

Why did Jesus say, see thou tell no man f 

To show his modesty and humility, and to teach us, when 
we do good works, not to sound a trumpet in order to be hon- 
ored by the world, thus losing our reward (Matt. vi. 2, 3). 
God will make them known, even against our will, whenever 
it is necessary for his glory, and the edification of our neighbor. 

What does the Saviour mean by saying, go, shoto thyself to 
the priest f 

1. Christ hereby honored the law of Moses himself, and 
showed that he would have it fulfilled as faithfully by others 
as it was by him ; for, according to that law, lepers were re- 
quired to show themselves to the priests, who were to decide 
whether they were clean or not. He also teaches us that 
priests should receive their proper respect. 2. He reminded 
him who was cleansed to give thanks to God, by offering the 
gift which Moses commanded. In like manner should we show 
our thankfulness for every benefit received from God. 3. He 
intended that the Jewish priests who were enemies of Christ, 
should be convinced that the leper was really cleansed. By this 
we learn to be prudent, even in our best actions. 

What does the solicitude of the centurion teach us? 

That masters and mistresses should take care of their sick 
servants, nurse them, and do whatever they can for their resto- 
ration to health ; for it is not the act of a Christian, but of a 
tyrant, to dismiss servants when they are sick. It is also a 
duty to see that they are visited in their sickness by the priest, 
that they may receive the holy sacraments. 

Why did our Saviour say, I will come and heal him ? 

To show his profound humility, in that although he was 
God, and the Lord of lords, he did not hesitate to visit a poor 
servant : by which humility he confounds many masters. 

Why did the centurion say, Lord, I am not worthy that thou 
zhouldcst enter under my roof? 

Out of humility, for he acknowledged Jesus to be Almighty 
God. " Hereby," says St. Augustine, " he made himself wor- 
thy that Christ should enter into his heart." We may learn 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 125 

from this example, to humble ourselves before God, particularly 
when about to receive Holy Communion. 

Why does the centurion speak of the obedience of his 
soldiers ? 

To show his firm belief in the power of the Divine Saviour ; 
for it was as much as to say, that as his soldiers were ready at 
any moment to obey his commands, so all the powers of nature 
were subject to the. Almighty, at whose word sickness would 
instantly cease. It would not, therefore, be necessary for Jesus 
to come to his house ; but his commands, though absent, would 
be sufficient. If the centurion, who was a Gentile, could have 
so much faith and confidence in Christ, should not Christians 
be ashamed to have so little ? 

What is the meaning of the words, that many shall come 
from the east and from the icest, and shall sit dozen with Abra- 
ham, &c. ? 

Christ said this on account of the stubborn Jews, who be- 
lieved not in him, and rejected his doctrine. Many Gentiles 
shall come from the east and west to receive the Gospel, and 
living according to it, shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and 
Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the Jews, who were 
the chosen people, the children of God, who had the first title 
to heaven, shall, for their unbelief and sins, be cast out into the 
exterior darkness, — that is, into the most excruciating pains of 
hell. So will it also be with every Christian who does not live 
according to his faith. Fear, therefore, that by not co-operating 
with the grace of God you may be lost forever, while others 
are saved. With fear and trembling work out your salva- 
tion (Phil. ii. 12). 

Aspiration. 

Jesus, fountain of consolation, give me the faith and con- 
fidence of the leper, that I may always trust in thy Almighty 
power, and give myself up to thy divine will. O most humble 
Jesus, give me the humility of the centurion, that I may for 
the sake of thee, love and assist my neighbor, particularly 
those of my household and family, the poor and the sick, and 
gain an eternal reward. Amen. 



126 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Practical Instruction on Resignation to the Will of God. 

"Lord, if thou wilt."— Matt. viii. 2. 

Those persons have already heaven upon earth, who alike in 
prosperity and in misfortune, give themselves up entirely to 
the will of God, so that being of one will and heart with him, 
they patiently accept, approve, and are grateful for whatever 
he sends upon them. Such persons cannot be disconcerted by 
any cross or adversity, because, whatever it be that God dis- 
penses to them, whether honor or dishonor, poverty or riches, 
life or death, they are pleased with it, as coming from him. 
In having no other will than that of God's, they become, as it 
were, almighty, since the will of God is theirs also. Who can 
but desire such a state of happiness ? It is, however, not diffi- 
cult to attain, if we believe firmly — 

1. That everything that befalls us is from God : Shall there 
be evil in a city which the lord hath not done (i. e. permitted) ? 
(Amos iii. 6.) 

2. That whatever God does, is well done, and for our good. 
He hath done all things well (Mark vii. 37). Whoever keeps 
these two truths in remembrance, will, under any circumstances, 
be satisfied with the will of God, and enjoy without disturbance 
quiet and contentment of mind ; in fine, he will have a fore- 
taste of that happiness which the saints in heaven find in the 
union of their will with God's. 

Instruction for Masters and Servants. 

I. Masters should be above all things solicitous to have not 
merely faithful, obedient, and industrious, but also pious serv- 
ants, who fear God. For the sake of such servants God has 
often blessed their masters : Laban, for example, on account of 
Jacob (Gen. xxx. 30) ; Putiphar on account of Joseph (Gen. 
xxxix 5). They should not keep in the house, wicked and 
bad servants, lest they become guilty of the sins of others, 
and trifle away the grace of God. The Scripture says, If any 
man have not care of his own, and especially of those of his 
house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel 
(1 Tim. v. 8). 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 127 

2. Masters should love and honor their servants, as they 
would their children, acting towards them as fathers, not as 
tyrants ; bearing patiently with their frailties and faults ; not 
making them work beyond their strength ; not merely giving 
them time to pray and attend divine service, but seeing that 
they do it ; should pay them their wages, giving them enough ; 
and particularly, should take care of them in sickness. 

3. Masters should watch over their servants, if not suspi- 
ciously, yet diligently, to guard against dangers, and occasions 
of sin ; not allowing them to run about at night, or permitting 
them to be alone with persons of the other sex; dismissing 
those who are dangerous and scandalous, either to the other 
servants, or to the children of the family. They should at 
times see whether all are at home or not ; and it is far better 
here to be a little too strict, than too indulgent, for excessive 
indulgence is a sword that kills the soul. How many servants 
shall curse their masters for having been too indulgent with 
them in this particular ! 

4. Masters should impress upon them that it their duty to 
receive often the holy sacraments ; to love the Catholic Church 
as their mother, and to die rather than forsake her. If serv- 
ants are not faithful to their God and their Church, how will 
they be faithful to their masters ? 

Servants, on the other hand are obliged — 

1. To be obedient to their masters, as to Jesus Christ him- 
self, with good will, even though they see them doing wrong, 
and in every thing, sin excepted, — in which case they must 
obev God rather than man, considering: that the favor of men 
lasts not very long, but that sin reaches beyond the grave 
(Matt. x. 28). They should, therefore, quit as soon as possible 
a place where they cannot stay without sin ; for what will good 
pay profit them if they lose their souls ? 

2. They should be diligent and industrious, taking care of 
their master's property as if it were their own, and often lift- 
ing up their hearts during their work, in saying, I will do this 
work for thy sake, God (Colos. iii. 22, 23, 24). 

3. They must not get drunk, nor commit impurity, nor pil- 
fer and steal, nor persuade or assist any one outside the house 



128 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

to do any such things, and then keep silence. They should 
neither eat out of the proper times, nor give things away with- 
out permission ; and should avoid dangerous places and occa- 
sions of sin, such as dances and bad or doubtful acquaintances. 

4. No calumny should come from their mouths ; no false 
witness; no talk of the faults and errors of- those in the house; 
no tattle, or falsehood. 

5. They must keep holy the Sundays and holy-days, and, if 
they find themselves in danger of sinning in this respect, must 
say, What will it profit me, the money I earn during the week 
by the sweat of my brow, if I lose to-day the friendship of 
Jesus, and my title to Heaven, by wicked words, by gaming, 
drinking, dancing, and other sins ? 



iFourtt) Smtfraj} after (Epiptjcms. 

The Introit of the Mass is the same as on the last Sunday. 

Prayer. 

O God, who knowest that amidst so many dangers we can- 
not subsist, by reason of our frailty, grant us safety of mind 
and body, that we may surmount those things, by thy grace, 
which we suffer for our sins. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Rom. xiii. 8-10.) 
Brethren : Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. For 
he that loveth his neighbor, hath fulfilled the law. For "Thou sh:ilt 
not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou slialt not steal, Thou 
Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet:" and if there 
be any other commandment, it is comprised in this word : "Thou shalt 
love thy neighbor as thyself. 1 ' The love of our neighbor worketh no 
evil. Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law. 

How are we to understand those words of St. Paul, he that 
s loveth his neighbor, hath fulfilled the law ? 

St. Augustine explains them as follows : " Our love towards 
our neighbor must have its origin in the love of God ; for if 
we love our neighbor, we must love him for God's sake. Now 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 129 

he who loves God keeps the first four commandments, for he 
believes in God, hopes in him, loves him, and honors him, 
while he also loves and honors his parents. But he who loves 
his neighbor keeps the rest of the commandments also, since 
that love prevents him from doing any injury to his neighbor, 
so that he will not kill, nor steal, nor calumniate, nor bear 
false witness ; thus he fulfils the law, for upon these two com- 
mandments depend tlie whole law and t/ie propliets (Matt. 
xxii. 40). 

Prayer. 

O Lord Jesus Christ, pour into our hearts holy love, that 
w r e, with thy assistance, may fulfil thy holy command of loving 
our neighbor, which thou hast observed in regard to us. 

Gospel. (Matt. viii. 23-27.) 

At that time: When Jesus entered into the boat, his disciples fol- 
lowed him : and behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the 
boat was covered with waves, but he was asleep. And his disciples 
came to him, and awaked him, saying: Lord, save us, we perish. 
And Jesus saith to them : Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith ? 
Then rising up he commanded the winds, and the sea, and there came 
a great calm. But the men wondered, saying: What manner of man 
is this, for the winds and the sea obey him? 

Why did Jesus sleep while a great tempest arose in the sea ? 

1. As man, he felt the need of sleep. 2. He thereby tested 
the faith of his disciples, and confirmed it, by the miracle of 
their escape. 3. He, by this occasion, taught the just and 
pious not to be scandalized, or discouraged if God should visit 
them with affliction, such as sickness, poverty, or other mis- 
eries. 4. He hereby teaches us, also, to seek refuge in him, 
and encourages us to hope for help. For God often allows the 
storm to come upon us, permitting us to be persecuted and 
tried in every manner, while he, sleeping as if he did not care, 
seems to abandon us in order to prove our patience and love. 
We should remember that the greater the need, the nearer 
is God. 

Why did our Saviour reprove his disciples? 

Because they showed a want of faith and confidence ; for had 



130 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

they been sure that Jesus was the Son of God, they would have 
been also sure that he could help them as well asleep as awake. 
Even had they been then drowned, such a death would have 
been to them the entrance to eternal life. Here we may- see 
how displeasing- to God are want of faith and timidity. Cursed 
be the man that trusteth in man . . . but blessed be the man 
that trusteth in the Lord (Jer. xvii. 5, 7). Let us, therefore, 
in any adversity, or danger, be firm in our belief that God 
cares for us, and have confidence in him, saying, like his dis- 
ciples, Lord, save us, we perish / or with David, Arise / why 
deepest thou, Lord f Arise and cast us not off to the end : 
arise, O Lord, help us, and redeem us for thy name's sake 
(Ps. xliii. 23, 26) ; and he will hear our prayers, if it be for our 
good, as he quieted the wind and the sea with his almighty 
word. # 

What can we further learn from this Gospel ? 
I. How willingly Jesus assists us. 2. That he will protect 
his Church in all storms and persecutions, since he the Almighty 
is always with her. 3. How willingly we should follow Jesus, 
since even the winds and waves obey him. 4. That we should 
not look stupidly and with indifference at the wonders of God's 
omnipotence and benevolence, but from them learn to raise our 
thoughts in love to him. For if those men wondered, saying, 
Who is this, for eve?i the winds and the sea obey him, how 
much rather should we know and love God, from the innumer- 
able miracles of his love and power (Rom. i. 20). 

Aspiration. 
Grant us, O most benign Jesus, great confidence in thy di- 
vine assistance, whenever we are in need ; and allow us not to 
be of little faith. Be our Saviour in the many dangers that 
surround us ; make use of thy omnipotence against our ene- 
mies ; command the impetuous winds and sea of persecution 
that they may be calm ; and give peace and quiet to thy 
Church, which thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood, 
that we may serve thee in sanctity and justice, and come safely 
to the wished-for haven of eternal happiness. Amen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 131 

On Divine Providence. 
" But he was asleep." — M iiL 24. 

Many persons seem to believe God too great to have the care 
of the world ; as though it were sufficient for him to have cre- 
ated it (if they believe even that), and for the rest, to have left 
it to chance. "What a God would he be if he were as the 
wicked imagine, either unwilling or unable to govern the 
world ; for if he could not, he would not be Almighty ; and if 
he would not, he would be no longer benevolent ; or if igno- 
rant of any thing in the world, then no longer Omniscient. 
Could a house stand without some one to take care of it ? How 
then could the world and all things in it have stood so long 
already, and that in such beautiful and admirable order, if God 
had not preserved it ? It is true that the method of the 
Divine Providence with which God controls all things, is so 
mysterious, that in considering certain events we might be 
tempted to assign as the causes of them, the course of nature, 
or the malice of devils ; but Divine Providence cannot be de- 
nied, for nothing takes place by mere chance ; even the least 
occurrence happens only by the will or permission of God. 
The notion of chance, and of being fortunate or unfortunate, is 
in reality but a loolish fancy, which even the more thoughtful 
of the heathen rejected. The course of nature is nothing else 
but God's continual, all-wise, and benevolent preservation, and 
direction of his creatures. Even the ill-will of men, and of 
devils, are instruments in his hand for the promotion of good ; 
since he knows how to draw good from the evil that he per- 
mits : and. " therefore,"' says St. Augustine, " he permits the 
evil, that the good may not be omitted.' 5 

The Holy Scripture gives us many instances of this Divine 
Providence. Head only the history of our first parents, of 
Abraham, Joseph. Moses, the Israelites. Job, Ruth, Tobias, 
Esther, and Judith, — everywhere we find proofs that God 
overrules all things, according to his own designs, and tor the 
good of his elect. The Gospel of to-day furnishes an instance 
of this. Why does Jesus enter into a ship? Why did the 
tempest arise, and he sleep? Was all this by chance? Xo ; 



132 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

it was with design, and of divine dispensation ; to show the 
omnipotence of Christ, and to confirm the faith of his disciples. 
Thus, it is certain, does God provide, guide, and govern all 
things. This the Holy Scripture, reason, and daily experience 
certify; and if we look more attentively at the events of our 
own lives, we shall see clearly the Divine Providence over us, 
and will give ourselves up to its guidance with greater confi- 
dence than heretofore. The Lord ruleth me, and I shall want 
nothing (Ps. ii. 1). Surely we shall want nothing so long as 
God guides us, if we submit ourselves to his holy will, and are 
content with his providence ; but if we resist that, he will rule 
us with a rod of iron (Ps. ii. 9). For God will govern us, 
whether it be with mildness or with severity ; he is not a slum- 
bering God, for behold, he shall neither slumber nor sleep that 
keepeth Israel (Ps. cxx. 4). 



iFiftl) Sunbelt) after Gfyipfyani). 

On this Sunday the Church reminds us how God tolerates 
the wicked, and exhorts us to love him. 

The Introit is the same as on the third Sunday after 
Epiphany. 

Prayer. 

Preserve, we beseech thee O Lord, thy family, by continued 
mercy, that, relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace, it 
may be always defended by thy protection. Through Christ 
our Lord. Amen. 

Epistle. (Col. iii. 12-17.) 
Brethren : Put ye on, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, 
the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience : bear- 
ing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a com- 
plaint against another: even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do 
you also. But above all these things have charity, which is the bond 
of perfection : and let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, 
wherein also you are called in one body : and be ye thankful. Let 
the word of Christ dwell in yon abundantly, in all wisdom : teaching 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 133 

and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual canti- 
cles, singing in grace in your hearts to God. All whatsoever you do 
in word or in work, all things do ye in the name of the Lord Jesus 
Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by Jesus Christ our 
Lord. 

Why does St. Paul call charity the bond of perfection ? 

Because it combines all the virtues of which perfection con- 
sists. For whoever loves God and his neighbor, practises in 
a perfect manner all virtues, such as humility, mercy, patience. 
St. Paul would have all Christians to be rich, that is, w^ell in- 
structed in the word of God, that it may console and strengthen 
them in all adversities, which purpose is to be attained also by 
attending at the public services, where Christians edify one 
another by psalms and canticles. 

The Apostle further admonishes us to do all, whatsoever we 
do, in word or in work — whether it be to eat, or drink, or 
sleep — to do all in the name of Jesus, in his spirit and accord- 
ing to his will ; thus honoring and praising God, our Heavenly 
Father. How will those persons be troubled on their death- 
beds, who now neglect to offer up their daily work to God by 
a good intention, perceiving too late how many treasures of 
merit they might have gathered ; and, on the other hand, how 
joyful will those be whose conscience certifies them that their 
whole life has been directed to God as their last end. Would 
to God that day-laborers, and all who earn their bread by the 
sweat of their brow, might consider this well, and turn their 
toil to their advantage by a good intention, for without that 
their labor is but lost, and they will be unhappier after this life 
than they have been on earth. 

Aspiration. 

O God of love, patience, and mercy, sanctify our hearts that 
we may sincerely love thee and our neighbor ; do all that we 
do in thought, word, or deed, in the name of the Lord Jesus 
Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 



134: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

On the Singing of the Church. 

" Teach and admonish one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, 
singing in grace in your hearts to God." — Col. iii. 16. 

Whence comes the custom of singing psalms and hymns in 
the Church ? 

David first commanded, and after him Ezeehias, that during 
the divine service psalms and canticles should be sung by the 
priests and Levites, alternately in chorus (2 Paralipom. xxix.) 
The same usage was retained in the Christian Church, as we 
see in the Epistles of St. Paul to the Ephesians (v. 19, 20), and 
to the Colossians (iii. 15), that so Christians might, as it were, 
imitate the angels and saints of God, who praise him without 
intermission. This is also the object of the present chanting 
or singing during divine service. 

How then should this Christian singing be done ? 

1. It should, in all, come from the heart, which must give 
tone and spirit to the singing : be ye filled with the Holy Ghost 
(Eph. v. 18). Is any of you sad? let him pray ; is he cheer- 
fid in mind? let him sing (James v. 13). The pious words of 
the psalm or hymn should re-echo in our hearts. When a con- 
gregation of such as have given up their hearts to God, sing, 
then love and joy go along with the singing ; and what the 
ear hears and the eye sees, the heart also feels, as the expres- 
sion of its devotion and happiness. The effect upon St. Augus- 
tine he has described as follows : " How many tears have I 
shed at the Psalms ! how much did the sweet singing of the 
Church move me ! As the tones sounded in my ears, the truth 
made its way into my heart, my tears flowed, and I was filled 
with joy." (Aug. Con., Book IX., chap, vi.) 

Why are musical instruments used during the service ? 

Religion, the inner life of the soul, must also show itself out- 
wardly, in order to engage and captivate the minds of men. 
She is, therefore, intimately connected with the arts. She de- 
signs and builds not only the humble chapels, but the most 
magnificent cathedrals ; adorns them with beautiful paintings, 
and statues ; uses the treasures of the earth, as gold, silver, and 
precious stones, for emblems of inward purity, beauty, and 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 135 

steadfastness; invites to devotion by the majestic sounds of her 
bells, and announces in oratory and poetry, the wonders of 
God. Always full of inspiration, she does not rest until she 
has brought into wonderful harmony human voices, the deep, 
hidden tones of the organ, and innumerable instruments, cre- 
ating thus a heavenly music, and fulfilling the words of the 
divine singer : Praise him with sound of the trumpets, praise 
him with psaltery and harp, praise him with choir and timbrel, 
praise him with strings and organs, praise him on high- 
sounding cymbals, praise him on cymbals of joy (Ps. cl. 3-5). 
The Council of Trent forbids music containing luxurious and 
immodest pieces ; and it is proper that during Advent and 
Lent the singing should be without any instrumental accom- 
paniment. 

Gospel. (Matt. xiii. 24-30.) 
At that time : Jesus spoke this parable to the multitude : The 
kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his 
field. But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed 
cockle among the wheat, and went his way. And when the blade 
was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the 
cockle. And the servants of the good man of the house coming said to 
him : Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field ? whence then hath 
it cockle? And he said to them: An enemy hath done this. And the 
servants said to him : "Wilt thou that we go and gather it up ? And 
he said : No, lest perhaps gathering up the cockle, you root up the 
wheat also together with it. Suffer both to grow until the harvest, 
and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers : Gather up 
first the cockle, and bind it into bundles to burn ; but the wheat 
gather ye into my barn. 

What are parables ? and why did Jesus so often propose 
them ? 

Parables are relations of events which either actually have 
happened somewhere, or which might easily have occurred. 
Those of our Saviour contain always some important lesson, 
which Jesus either drew from them himself, or left his hearers 
to infer. 

The reasons why he spoke in parables are various : 1. Because 
it was the usage of the time and age to teach in figures and 



136 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

parables. 2. To bring the truth more vividly and easily before 
his hearers. 3. It was a relief to their minds, and enabled 
them better to remember his instructions. Some parables 
which he proposed were mysterious ; such he did not wish to 
be understood before the time, as otherwise his enemies would 
have had an opportunity of killing him before his hour had 
come. It was, therefore, at the same time both an act of pru- 
dence in our Lord, and a kindness and condescension to our 
frailty, that he spoke in parables. 

What is to be understood by the kingdom of heaven ? 

The Church of God, or the congregation of the faithful upon 
earth, in which there are good and bad, as there is cockle 
among the wheat. The Church is so called, because she is the 
kingdom of heaven on earth, coming from heaven, and leading 
thither. 

What are we to understand by the good seed and the 
cockle ? 

By the good seed is meant good Christians, who, being con- 
verted by the word of God sown in their hearts, become chil- 
dren of God, and bring forth thousand-fold fruit of good 
works ; the cockle denotes heretics, infidels, and bad men. 
We are also to understand by the good seed, the word of God, 
and by the cockle, false doctrines and principles. 

When is the cockle sown among the wheat ? 

While men are asleep. By sleep is here understood, neglect- 
fulness, indifference, and carelessness : 1. On the part of every 
private Christian who ceases to use the means of salvation by 
absenting himself from the divine service, by omitting to receive 
the sacraments, to hear the word of God, or to do good works. 
His enemy, the devil, then comes immediately, and sows in his 
heart bad thoughts and desires, doubts and temptations, out 
of which spring pride, impurity, anger, envy, and avarice. 2. It 
denotes also, the carelessness of secular and ecclesiastical supe- 
riors in not fulfilling the obligations of their office, while they 
fail to watch over their flock, and to punish the guilty. In 
this case, it is the easier for bad men, the instruments of the 
devil, to corrupt the congregation by false doctrine, by mock- 
ery of religion, by bad example, and immoral books. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 137 

Why does not God gather up the wicked, who are the 
cockle, and destroy them ? 

1. On account of his long-suffering and patience towards the 
sinner, whom he gives the opportunity of doing penance. 
2. Out of love for the just and righteous ; for should he exter- 
minate the wicked, the just would lose the opportunity of 
exercising many virtues, such as patience, meekness, mercy, 
purity, and perseverance to the end, whereby they acquire the 
merits of eternal life. 

But does not the Church lose her sanctity by reason of so 
many sinners living therein ? 

No, the Church still is, and will continue to be holy ; for all 
her members are sanctified by faith and baptism, and are called 
to holiness ; they are all under one head, our Lord Jesus 
Christ, and are led to and preserved in sanctity by her doc- 
trines, laws, and sacraments, if they but follow these, and co- 
operate with the grace of God ; besides, there always are in the 
Church saints, whom God glorifies by many miracles. The 
unholy life of Christians as little deprives the Church of her 
holiness, as Judas did the Apostles of theirs. 

When is the time of harvest ? 

The day of Judgment, when, according to St. Matthew 
(xiii. 49), the angels shall separate the wicked from among the 
just, that every one may receive his reward, or punishment. 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, who hast sown the good seed of thy Divine Word 
in our hearts, grant that it may bring forth in us, many fold, 
the fruit of eternal life. Defend us against the enemy, that he 
may not sow in us false and wicked doctrines to destroy our 
good works ; preserve us from the sleep of sin and sloth, that 
we may watch against the temptations of the world, the devil, 
and the flesh, and having overcome them, may die happily. 
Amen. 



138 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

On the Inclination to Evil. 
" Whence then hath it cockle V—Matt. xiii. 27. 

What do we mean by the inclination to evil ? 

That law in man which draws him to whatever is forbidden. 
It is no sin to feel that law in us, but the sin is in following it 
willingly. 

Whence comes this inclination to evil ? 

It is a consequence, and at the same time a punishment of 
original sin, transmitted to all men from our first parents, and 
remaining in us after the guilt and punishment of original sin 
are washed away in baptism. 

Why does it remain after baptism ? 

1. To humble us that we may know our frailty and misery, 
and have recourse to God, our most powerful and kind Father, 
as children when frightened run to their parents for protection 
and help. Thus St. Paul besought the Lord, when a sting of 
flesh was given him (2 Cor. xii. 17). 

2. For the greater honor of God ; that the power of his 
grace may be revealed in us, who thereby, though weak and 
frail ourselves, yet conquer evil. 

3. To try us, and to incite us to the practice of virtue, that 
we may have the combat and the chance of victory, and not 
become slothful and wicked. Waters that do not move,- pu- 
trify ; a soldier with no enemy before him, performs no heroic 
acts : in like manner, we should neither practise virtue nor 
gain a crown in Heaven, if we had not the opportunity of a 
contest. " What torments the combatant, crowns the victor," 
says St. Bernard. 



%\%l\\ Sttnbag after Gfylpljanr). 

With this week the Church concludes the solemnities of 
Christmas. At the Introit, which is the same as on the third 
Sunday after Epiphany, she calls upon the angels to adore and 
praise God, for the grace of the Incarnation of his divine Son, 
which gave joy to the Church and all pious men. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 139 

Prayer. 

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that, ever fixing 
our thoughts on reasonable things, we may perform, both 
in words and works, the things that are pleasing to thee. 
Through Christ. Amen. 

Ejnstle. (1 Thess. i. 2-10.) 

Brethren : We give thanks to God always for you all : making a 
remembrance of you in our prayers without ceasing, being mindful of 
the work of your faith, and labor, and charity, and of the enduring of 
the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ before God and our Father: Know- 
ing, brethren beloved of God, your election : for our gospel hath not 
been unto you in word only, but in power also, and in the Holy Ghost, 
and in much fulness, as you know what manner of men we have been 
among you for your sakes. And you became followers of us, and of 
the Lord : receiving the word in much tribulation, with joy of the 
Holy Ghost : so that you were made a pattern to all who believe in 
Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you was spread abroad the 
word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in 
every place, your faith which is towards God, is gone forth, so that 
we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves relate of us, 
what manner of entering in we had unto you ; and how you turned 
to God from idols, to serve the living and true God. And to wait for 
his Son from heaven (whom he raised up from the dead), Jesus who 
hath delivered us from the wrath to come. 

Explanation. 

St. Paul wishes grace and peace to the Thessalonians ; gives 
them the assurance of his prayers without ceasing, and declares 
his joy for their having received the faith in Christ ; for their 
being zealous in good works and firm in tribulation, and for 
their persevering in the hope of reward, whereby they became 
a pattern to others, who were led to embrace the true religion, 
and were confirmed in it by their example. Oh, that we could 
say the same of Christians of the present day ! Such a life is 
the glory of Christianity. Let us, therefore, endeavor to have 
a living faith, shining forth in all good works, with a firm hope 
of our salvation, that we too may be an example to unbe- 
lievers. 



140 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Gospel. (Matt. xiii. 31-35.) 

At that time : Jesus spoke to the multitudes this parable : The 
kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took 
and sowed in his field. Which is the least indeed of all seeds: but 
when it is grown up it is greater than all herbs, and becometh a tree, 
so that the birds of the air come and dwell in the branches thereof. 
Another parable he spoke to them. The kingdom of heaven is like to 
leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until 
the whole was leavened. All these things Jesus spoke in parables to 
the multitudes : and without parables he did not speak to them. That 
it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying : " I 
will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden from the 
foundation of the world." 

Why are the Church and the doctrines of Christ compared 
to a grain of mustard-seed ? 

Because they are very similar in this : that the mustard- 
seed, though small, grows in Palestine to be very high, spreads 
wide, and contains a very prolific power. In like manner 
the Church and doctrine of Christ, though at the beginning 
very small, increased so fast, and in time arrived at so large a 
growth as to surpass all other religions, so that the princes and 
wise men of the world sheltered themselves under the protec- 
tion of Christianity, as the birds dwell under the branches of 
the tree. This was first conspicuously seen when the emperor 
Constantine, and after him the king Clodovaldus and others, 
became members of the Catholic Church. There are also, 
even in the smallest sentences of the evangelical doctrine, con- 
cealed, as in the mustard-seed, great and powerful truths ; for 
how many have been converted and become saints by one 
single sentence of the Gospel, well pondered and put into prac- 
tice ! 

Why are the Church and doctrine of Christ compared to 
leaven ? 

Because, as leaven in a short time penetrates and makes 
palatable a large measure of meal, so the Church and doctrine 
of Christ penetrated most rapidly three quarters of the globe, 
corrected the foolish and absurd opinions of the heathen, and 
Save them a taste for divine things and heavenly wisdom. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 141 

By what means, in particular, was the Church of Christ 
propagated ? 

I. By the numerous and great miracles wrought by the Al- 
mighty power of God, to confirm the truth and divinity of the 
Christian religion. 2. By the love, purity, and excellent mo- 
rality of the first Christians, which convinced the Gentiles that 
Christianity was from God. 3. By the persecution of Chris- 
tians ; for, as Tertullian writes, the blood of martyrs was the 
seed of the Church. 

The false doctrines of Mohammed, of Luther, and other 
heretics in earlier and later times, have indeed spread rapidly 
and widely, and no wonder ; for how easily might not people 
be persuaded to that which their own evil inclinations urged. 
But to propagate a doctrine contrary to worldly and fleshly 
desires, something more than the power and eloquence of men 
was necessary. Sir Thomas More, the Chancellor of England 
— himself a martyr — accordingly answered Luther, who prided 
himself on the increase of his sect, that it was always easy to 
descend, and that no other miracle was wanting to corrupt the 
people, than that of a stone falling of itself. 

Aspiration. 
Most amiable Jesus, we thank thee for having called us to 
thy Church, and for having communicated to us thy doctrine. 
Give us grace to become by it each day better and more pleas- 
ing to thee, and finally to attain eternal happiness. Enlighten 
also the nations living in heresy and darkness, that they may 
know thee, and be delivered from the wrath to come. Amen. 



Septuajgesima Snnbat). 

Why is this Sunday called Scptuagesima ? 

The word means seventy. According to the first Council of 
Orleans, in the year a. d. 545, many pious ecclesiastics and lay 
persons of the primitive Church used to fast seventy days be- 
fore Easter, and their fast'was called, therefore, Scptuagesima; 
a name which was afterwards retained to distinguish this Sun- 



142 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

day from others. The same was the case with the three fol- 
lowing Sundays ; many Christians commencing their fast sixty 
days before Easter, whence the name Sexagesima ; others fifty 
days, whence Quinquagesima ; others forty days, whence 
Quadragesima. 

Why did the first Christians fast seventy days ? 

Alcuin and Amalarius say that the captivity of the Jews in 
Babylon gave the first thought of it ; for as the Jews were 
obliged to do penance seventy years, that they might thereby 
merit to return into the promised land, so Christians sought to 
regain the grace of God by fasting for seventy days. On Sep- 
tuagesima Sunday the Church commences to infuse into the 
minds of her children thoughts of penance, as a preparation for 
the fast. 

Why does the Church, from this Sunday until Easter, omit 
all joyful chants, as the Te Deum, Alleluiah, Gloria in Excelsis ? 

The whole time from this Sunday was, according to the 
early usage of the Church devoted to penance, and for that 
reason the Council of Toledo, a. d. 633, pronounced the Alle- 
luia, as the expression of joy, unsuitable to this penitential 
season. Afterwards, the Popes Alexander II. and Leo VII. 
published a similar decree, for the same reasons, in regard to 
the Gloria in Excelsis during Mass, and the Te Deum in the 
Office of the Clergy. * 

To remind the sinner of the grievousness of his errors, and 
to exhort him to penance, the Church in the name of all 
nations unites, at the Introit of the Mass, her prayers with 
those of David. The groans of death surrounded me, the sor- 
roios of hell encompassed me, and in my affliction I called 
upon the Lord, and he heard my voice from his holy temple. 
I will love thee, Lord, my strength ; the Lord is my firma- 
ment, and my refuge, and my deliverer. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Graciously hear the prayers of thy people, we beseech thee, 
O Lord, that we who are justly afflicted for our sins, may be 
mercifully delivered, for the glory of thy name. Through our 
Lord. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 143 

Epistle. (1 Cor. ix. 24-29, and x. 1-5.) 

Brethren : Know you not that they that run in the race, all run 
indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain. 
And every one that striveth for the mastery refrain eth himself from 
all things : and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible 
crown : but we an incorruptible one. I therefore so run, not as at an 
uncertainty : I so fight, not as one beating the air : but I chastise my 
body, and bring it into subjection : lest perhaps, when I have preach- 
ed to others, I myself should become a castaway. For I would not 
have you ignorant, brethren, that our fathers were all under the 
cloud, and all passed through the sea. And all in Moses were bap- 
tized, in the cloud, and in the sea : and did all eat the same spiritual 
food, and all drank the same spiritual drink : (and they drank of the 
spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.) But 
with the most of them God was not well pleased. 

Explanation, 
To impress upon us that, since the disobedience of our first 
parents, we can obtain the everlasting rewards of heaven, the 
prize of eternal happiness, only through many difficulties, sacri- 
fices, privations, and hard contests ("for narrow is the gate 
and strait is the way"— Matt. vii. 14), the Church on this 
day proposes to us this Epistle, in which St. Paul incites all 
Christians earnestly to labor for obtaining the heavenly crown. 
He points to those who run in the race, and strive for mastery, 
as men who Hardened their bodies by their severe mode of 
life, who only ate and drank what gave them muscle and 
strength, abstaining from food that might weaken and ener- 
vate them, and who did all this that they might receive a cor- 
ruptible crown. If then they did so much for so small a 
reward, how much rather should we sacrifice our comfort, ab- 
stain from sensual lusts, exercise ourselves in practising love 
towards God and our neighbor, in patience, purity, and other 
virtues, in order to regain that incorruptible crown of eternal 
happiness, which we lost by sin. To encourage us the more, 
the Apostle declares himself an exanfple of one who runs, not 
like a child, without knowing whither ; who fights, not as one 
who instead of his enemy, beats the air ; who chastises and 
subjects his body by fasting, watching, and praying. Consider, 



144 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

O Christian, if the holy Apostle had to suffer so much to ob- 
tain eternal life, what should not we poor sinners be willing to 
do to gain Heaven ! 

St. Paul finally brings forward the example of the Jews 
whom God led by a cloud into the land of promise, saving 
them as they passed through the Red Sea from the bondage of 
Pharao. That cloud which by its shadow protected them by 
day from the heat, and by night shone to guide them through 
the dark, was the figure of baptism, which tempers the heats 
of passion, and enlightens the spirit of man ; the Red Sea was 
the type of the baptismal water, from which the Christian goes 
on in safety. God further gave the Jews manna, typifying the 
Holy Eucharist, in which we receive the true bread from 
heaven ; and water from the rock, an emblem of the fountain 
of living w T ater, the stream of grace from Christ. 

But what did it profit the Jews to have received so many 
benefits ? They lived in idolatry, were stubborn, impure, and 
sensual, and with the most of them God was not well pleased. 
Out of six hundred thousand only two came to the land of 
promise. What will it profit Christians to have received true 
baptism, and the other holy sacraments, but not to use them 
for the salvation of their souls? Woe to those, who relying on 
their name as Christians, and upon the grace of God, lead an 
unchristian life, not using their numerous and powerful means 
of salvation for their conversion and perfection. 

Aspiration. 
O Jesus, assist me, that with thy holy grace I may follow 
the example of St. Paul, and endeavor to deny myself, to 
chastise my body, and by continual exercise of every virtue, to 
obtain perfection and everlasting life. Amen. 

Gospel. (Matt. xx. 1-16.) 
At that time : Jesus said to his disciples this parable : The kingdom 
of heaven is like to a householder, who went out early in the morning 
to hire laborers into his vineyard. And having agreed with the labor- 
ers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out 
about the third hour, he saw others standing in the market-place idle. 
And he said to them : Go you also into my vineyard, and I will give 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 145 

yon what shall be just. And they went their way. And again he 
went our about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did in like manner. 
But about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, 
and he saith to them : Why stand you there all the day idle? They 
say to him : Because no man hath hired ns. He saith to them : Go 
you also into my vineyard. And when evening was come, the lord of 
the vineyard saith to his steivard : Call the laborers and pay them 
their hire, beginning from the last even to. the first. When therefore 
they were come that came about the eleventh hour, they received 
every man a penny. But when the first also came, they thought that 
they should receive more: and they also received every man a penny. 
And receiving it, they murmured against the master of the house, 
saying: These last have worked but one hour, and thou hast made 
them equal to ns, that have borne the burden of the day and the 
heats. But he answering one of them, said: Friend, I do thee no 
wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take what is 
thine and go thy way: I will also give to this last even as to thee. 
Or, is it not lawful for me to do what I will? is thy eye evil because 
I am good ? So shall the last be first, and the first last. For many 
are called, but few chosen. 

In these parables, what is to be understood by the master of 
a family, the vineyard, the laborers, and the penny ? 

The master of a family is God, who at different times and 
periods, as in the days of Adam, Noe, Abraham, Moses, and 
finally in the time of Jesus and his Apostles, called all men to 
work in his vineyard of the true religion, or Church, and to 
receive the promised penny, which is the divine grace and 
eternal salvation. 

How and when does God call men ? 

By the instruction of parents and teachers, by preachers 
and confessors, by spiritual books, edifying conversation, good 
examples, and inspirations ; in early youth, in manhood, and 
in old age, — which stages of human life are also signified by 
the different hours of the day. 

Who are the laborers in the vineyard ? 

Those who work, combat, and suffer for God and his honor, 
for their own salvation, and that of others, particularly spirit- 
ual teachers. As in a vineyard men must dig, destroy the 
weeds, cut off what is useless and bad, manure, plant, and 



146 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

bind, in like manner must we, in the spiritual vineyard of our 
souls, destroy the weeds of vice by meditation on death and 
hell ; by the examination of conscience ; by rooting out sinful 
inclinations, and their causes ; and by real penance ; we must 
cut off the passions by self-denial, prayer, and fasting ; humble 
ourselves by remembering our sins and miseries; instead of 
our bad habits we must implant the opposite virtues, and as 
they fasten the vines to their supports, bind our fickle will to 
the fear of God and of judgment, that it may stand firm. 

What must we do to exterminate a bad habit ? 

1. We must hate every sin. 2. We must produce in our- 
selves a fervent desire to destroy vice. 3. We must earnestly 
beg God's grace, without which we can do nothing. 4. We 
must attend zealously at instructions, sermons, and catechism. 
5. We must go often to confession and communion, and follow 
our confessor's directions. 6. Every morning we must make 
firm resolutions, and every night an examination of conscience. 
7. We must read in some spiritual book, treating of the sin 
which we have to root out. 8. We must venerate some saint, 
who in life had committed the same sin, and afterwards, by the 
grace of God, conquered it ; as, for instance, Mary Magdalen, 
who, from a great sinner, became a great penitent. 9. We 
must fast, give alms, and do other good works. 

Who are the idle in the parable ? 

Those who do not work for God, nor for their own and their 
neighbor's salvation. At the same time they may have, in 
other ways, as much business as possible ; but the only thing 
here necessary is, the service of God and the salvation of our 
souls. All those are idle, therefore, 1, who do nothing at all ; 
2, who do evil ; 3, who do something else than the works of 
their calling and office ; 4, those who do not offer up their 
work to God, in love, and with a good intention. 

Such idleness deprives us of our salvation, just as a laborer, 
who works either not at all or against the will of his master, 
forfeits his hire. For we are all servants of God, and cannot 
say that no man has hired us; he took us, immediately after 
our baptism, into the vineyard of his Church, and had us in- 
structed in our holy religion. He has even sought and brought 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 147 

us back after we have left him. If, then, we are idle, what 
hire will be our due when the evening comes, at the day of 
Judgment ? If the master of the family reproaches those 
whom no man had hired, how will he deal with us ? 

Why did the last receive as much as those who came first? 

Because God does not reward men according to the time of 
their labor, but according to the zeal, love, fidelity, and hu- 
mility with which they have concurred with the grace of God 
(Wisd. vi. ; 2 Cor. ix. 6). 

What does the murmuring of the first mean? 

Our Saviour hereby gave the Jews to understand, that, al- 
though they, being called first, envied the Gentiles who were 
called last, yet God nevertheless acted not unjustly in fulfilling 
his promises to them, and at the same time calling others to 
participate in his kindness and love. 

From this murmuring of the laborers, and the answer of the 
master of the house, we should learn never to be displeased at, 
or to envy our neighbor for enjoying God's favor ; for he is 
most wise and just, and gives us always more than we deserve. 
Envy is an abominable sin before God ; by the envy of the 
devil, death came into the world (Wisd. ii. 24). And the en- 
vious follow the devil ; but they hurt nobody but themselves. 

What is meant by, so shall the last be the first and the first 
last ? 

This is to be applied first to the Jews ; for on account of 
their rejecting the doctrine and call of Christ, the last, that is 
the Gentiles, gathered from all countries, shall be the first, 
both in numbers and in merits ; while the Jews, become in 
turn the last, will not come to the true knowledge of God 
until the end of the world. Those words also refer to those 
who may be the lowest and humblest in this world, but who 
will be first in Heaven. 

Why does Christ add, for many are called but fete chosen ? 

As if he should say, Do not wonder that the last shall be the 
first, and the first last, for many will not be received at all. 
From among the Jews and Gentiles he has called many, but 
few only have followed him, and of these again only few can 
be the chosen. Oh, that this may not be verified in Christians 



148 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

whom God has called, desiring that they might be saved 
(1 Tim. ii. 4) ; and yet how many are there among them who 
do not accept his calling, or who fail to live according to their 
vocation, neither co-operating with his grace, nor trying for- 
cibly to enter the kingdom of Heaven ! 

Aspiration. 
O most merciful and benign Lord, who hast called us thy 
unworthy servants, without any merit of our own, out of mere 
mercy, into thy. vineyard — the Church — and commanded us 
to work therein, grant us grace, we beseech thee, never to be 
idle, but as faithful servants to be always doing thy holy will. 
Whatever we have heretofore left undone, we will in future 
endeavor to do with persevering zeal, through the grace of 
Jesus Christ. Amen. 



(The name of Sexagesima was explained in the instruction 
of last Sunday.) The Tntroit of the Mass is taken from the 
forty-third Psalm : Arise; why steepest thou, Lord? Arise, 
and cast us not off to the end / why turnest thou thy face 
away, and forgettest our trouble f for our soul is humbled 
down to the dust / our belly cleaveth to the earth. Arise, 
Lord, help us, and. redeem us for thy nmne's sake. God, 
tee have heard with our ears : our fathers have declared to us. 
Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who seest that we confide in no action of our own, 
grant, in thy mercy, that Ave may be defended from all evils 
by the protection of the Doctor of the Gentiles. Through our 
Lord. Amen. 

Epistle. (2 Cor. xi. 19-xii. 9.) 
Brethren : You gladly suffer the foolish : whereas yourselves are 
wise. For you suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man de- 
vour you, if a man take from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 149 

strike yon on the face. I speak according; to dishonor, as if we had 
been weak in this part. Wherein any man dares (I speak foolishly) 
I dare also. They are Hebrews: so am I. They are Israelites: so 

am I. They are the seed of Abraham : so am I. They are the min- 
isters of Christ (I speak as one less wise), I am more : in many more 
labors, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths 
often. Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes, save one. 
Thrice was I beaten -with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered. 
shipwreck ; a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea : in jour- 
neying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from 
my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in 
perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false breth- 
ren : in labor and painfullness, in many watchings, in hunger and 
thirst, in many fastings, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things 
which are without : ray daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches. 
Who is weak, and I am not weak ? Who is scandalized, and I am not 
on fire? If I must needs glory: I will glory of the things that con- 
cern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who 
is blessed forever, knoweth that I lie not. At Damascus the governor 
of the nation under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damas- 
cenes to apprehend me. And through a window in a basket was I 
let down by the wall, and so escaped his hands. If I must glory (it 
is not expedient indeed): but I will come to the visions and revela- 
tions of the Lord. I know a man in Christ above fourteen years ago 
(whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not, 
God knoweth), such an one rapt even to the third heaven. And I 
know such a man, whether in the body, or out of the body, I know 
not : God knoweth : that he was caught up into paradise ; and heard 
secret words which it is not granted to man to utter. For such an 
one I will glory: but for myself I will glory in nothing, but in my in- 
firmities. For even if I should have a mind to glory, I shall not. be 
foolish: for I will say the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should 
think of me above that which he seeth in me, or any thing he heareth 
from me. And lest the greatness of the revelations should lift me up, 
there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet 
me. For which thing thrice I besought the Lord, that it might de- 
part from me: and he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee; for 
power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in 
my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 

Why does the Church mention St. Paul in the Holy Mass 
of this day, and why is this Epistle read ? 



150 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Because the station, or divine service, is held to-day at Rome 
in the Church of St. Paul, from whose example the Church 
would incite us to work out our salvation by co-operating 
faithfully with the grace of God. 

Why does St. Paul speak so many glorious things of him- 
self? 

He did so, not as seeking honor and glory for himself, but 
for God ; out of love and benevolence towards the Corinthians, 
who had been seduced by certain self-styled apostles and inter- 
ested persons, or, as St. Paul calls them, emissaries of the devil. 
To confound these hypocrites, and to remove the obstacles in 
the way of our holy religion, St. Paul felt bound to tell the 
Corinthians all that he had suffered for the propagation of the 
Gospel. In like manner, it is also our duty to appeal to our 
innocence, and to defend it when wicked men, by slandering 
us, try to hinder the salvation of those confided to us. 

What was the sting of the flesh, or the angel of Satan ? 

According to some interpreters, we are to understand by it 
the sufferings, privations, and persecutions which the Apostle 
had continually to undergo ; according to others, and this is 
the more probable opinion, it was the temptations of the "flesh 
and of impure desires, by which he was tried and kept humble, 
but which he easily overcame through the assistance of the 
grace of God, whose strength is best seen in our weakness. 
Let us, like St. Paul, not be irritated at temptations, but firmly 
combat and overcome them by the help of divine grace. 

Aspiration. 
Grant me, O God, thy grace, that I may in these evil days 
keep steadily to thy holy doctrine, and never be seduced from 
obeying it, either by the allurements of the world, or the re- 
proaches of the wicked. Amen. 

Gospel. (Luke viii. 4—15.) 

At that time : When a very great multitude was gathered together, 

and hastened out of the cities unto Jesus, he spoke by a similitude. 

The sower went out to sow his seed. And as lie sowed, some fell by 

the wayside, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air de- 



TITE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 151 

voured it. And other some fell upon a rock: and as soon as it was 
sprung up. it withered away, because it had no moisture. And i 
some tell among thorns, and the thorns growing up with it, choked it. 
And other some fell upon good ground ; and being sprung up, yielded 
fruit a hundred-fold. Saying these things, he cried out : He that hath 
ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him what this 
parable might be. To whom he said : To you it is given to know the 
mystery of the kingdom of God : but to the rest in parables, that see- 
ing they may not see, and hearing may not understand. Xow the 
parable is this: The seed is the word of God. And they by the way- 
side, are they that hear : then the devil cometh, and taketh the word 
out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved. Xow they 
upon the rock, are they who when they hear, receive the word with 
joy : and these have no roots ; who believe for a while, and in time of 
temptation, fall away. And that which fell among thorns, are they 
who have heard, and going their way, are choked with the cares, and 
riches, and pleasures of this life, and yield no fruit. But that on the 
good ground, are they who in a good and perfect heart, hearing the 
word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience. 

Why is the word of God here compared to seed ? 

Because as good fruits spring from good seed, so do good 
works from the word of God : and as it is impossible for any 
soil not sown to produce good fruits, so neither can men pro- 
duce the fruits of the Spirit, without the seed of the divine 
word. Therefore it is that St. Augustine says, that the word 
of God is as necessary for men as even the body of Christ. 
This seed was sown by Christ, his disciples, and their succes- 
sors, and is still daily sown in the soil of men's hearts. 

Why did our Saviour cry out, he that haih ears to hear, let 
him hear f 

To declare the importance and necessity of the doctrine 
taught in this parable, and to urge his hearers to meditate 
upon it. For it is necessary to salvation to heed attentively 
the word of God, and whoever refuses to hear it, throws him- 
self into everlasting perdition, since without the instruction 
in our holy religion which we derive from that word, we 
cannot know what we must do to please God, and save our 
souls. 

How then does it happen that notwithstanding the excel- 



152 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

lence of the divine word, there are so many bad and immoral 
Christians ? 

Christ himself explains this in the Gospel of to-day. Some 
seed fell by the wayside, some upon rock, some among thorns, 
but very little upon good ground. That is, men who hear the 
word of God are at one time like an open street, where the 
thoughts run in distraction this way and that ; they hear, read, 
and meditate, only superficially ; do not carry out their reso- 
lutions ; perhaps forget them ; devote themselves to a chang- 
ing succession of vanity, pleasure, and useless occupations ; are 
drawn away by evil spirits, and easily betrayed into wickedness 
and sin. At another time, they are like the rocks, — that is, 
they hear and receive the word with joy, and make many 
good resolutions ; but their hearts are hardened by pride, im- 
purity, anger, and other evil passions and habits; they have 
no lasting sorrow, nor are they penetrated by the truths which 
concern their salvation ; hence they fall away in time of the 
least temptation, at a slight mockery, for a small gain ; the 
divine seed had found no moisture or root in their hearts. 
Again; they are overgrown with the piercing thorns of cares, 
riches, and sensuar lusts, so that the seed of the divine word, 
though received by them, can neither grow up nor bear fruit. 

Instruction on hearing the Word of God. 

Are we bound to hear the word of God ? 

Yes; we are obliged, under penalty of mortal sin, to attend 
the sermon, unless detained by some grave reason ; for it is the 
will of God that we should thereby be instructed in our duty 
towards him and towards our neighbor. Besides, Christ him- 
self preached the Gospel, and commanded his Apostles and 
their successors to teach all nations to observe whatsoever he 
had commanded them (Matt, xxviii. 19, 20). It is, therefore, 
our duty to hear these preachers of the divine word (Luke x. 
1G). Jesus calls those blessed who hear the word of God and 
keep it (Luke xi. 28) ; but those that hear it not, are not of 
God (John viii. 47). 

As the Church has often strictly commanded the bishops and 
priests to preach with zeal and fervor on Sundays and Fesli- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 153 

vals, so she also desires that the faithful shall attend the ser- 
mon (Cone. Trid., Sess. 24, de ref. cap. 4). The commandment 
to hear mass on Sundays and Festivals includes the obligation 
of hearing the word of God preached, according to the custom 
of the Church, after the first Gospel of the mass. How can a 
Christian say that he has sanctified the Sunday or festival to 
the honor of God and the sanctification of his soul, if he has not 
heard attentively the word of God, and nourished his soul 
with that necessary food. The neglect of attendance on the 
sermon has always brought with it the sad consequences of in- 
fidelity, ignorance in matters of faith and of morals, heresy, 
lukewarmness, desolation in adversity, weakness, and want of 
courage in temptations, obduracy, and other sins to which the 
devil and the world are continually exciting men. 

Where and how is the word of God preached? 

In and by the Church : 1. In the Holy Scriptures of the old 
and new law ; 2. By bishops and priests in sermons and cate- 
chising ; 3. In spiritual books. We say in the Church and by 
her, because it is only from the Church that we know that there 
are Holy Scriptures, and that we have received them pure ; as 
it is by her only that they can be interpreted, for she is the 
pillar and the foundation of truth. 

What is the effect of the word of God, when heeded ? 

To wash away sin, implant virtue, and create the world 
anew. The Scripture uses sublime expressions to indicate the 
power of the divine word. Jeremias says (xxiii. 29), Are not 
my words as a fire, which bursts out from within, consuming 
the vapors of sin, drying up the marshes of vice, and killing 
the deep roots of bad habits. Again, it is a hammer, breaking 
in pieces the rock of hardened hearts. The Psalmist calls it 
thunder, spreading terror on all sides ; and a powerful wind, 
breaking the cedars of Libamcs, that is, the proud and inflexi- 
ble minds of men (Ps. xxviii. 3, 4). He also calls it the light, 
which disperses the darkness of ignorance (Ps. cxviii. 105), and 
shows the path of salvation. According to Isaias, the word of 
God is a precious dew, or rain, softening our hearts, and 
making them fertile (Isa. lv. 10, 11). St. Paul says, it is living 
and effectual, and more piercing than a two-edged sword, 



154 INSTTiUCnoNS ON 

reaching into the division of the soul and spirit, of the joints 
also and marrow — that is, cutting- away from the spirit sensual 
lusts (Heb. iv. 12). St. James calls it a mirror, in which a man 
beholding himself and his sins, becomes ashamed, and tries to 
get free from them (Jas. i. 23). It is, finally, the good seed, 
which, falling upon good ground, yields fruit an hundred-fold. 
Thus, one single grain of this seed brought forth wonderful 
fruit in St. Augustine, St. Anthony, St. Nicholas of Tolentine. 
St. Augustine was converted by the words, JVot in rioting and 
drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities (Rom. xiii. 
1 3). St Anthony by the words, If thou wilt be perfect, go sell 
what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have 
treasure in heaven, and come, follow me (Matt. xix. 21) ; and 
St. Nicholas of Tolentine by the words, Love not the icorld, nor 
the things that are in the world (1 John ii. 15). 

What must we do that the word of God may produce such 
effects in us also ? 

We must be the good, well-cultivated ground, — that is, we 
must have a heart which loves truth, wishes to be instructed, 
is humble, and seeks sincerely its salvation ; we must give at- 
tention to sermons and instructions, and the reading of the 
divine word, and keep in our hearts and practice the truths 
we thus hear. 

What must we do before sermon ? 

1. First of all, we must fervently ask God the Holy Ghost 
for light ; for he opens the understanding for the reception of 
divine truths, and prayer is a fertilizing dew for the soil of the 
heart. 

2. St. Chrysostom, in his third sermon on Saul and David, 
asks, " Who pours a precious liquid into an unclean vessel, be- 
fore he has washed it ?" We should, therefore, cleanse our 
hearts before sermon by contrition, for wisdom will not enter 
into a malicious soul (Wisdom i. 4). As the ground to be 
sown must first be prepared, so must our hearts be cleansed, 
and made ready by a holy desire of learning what is good; 
but to attend sermons merely out of curiosity to hear some- 
thing new, to criticise the preacher, to see and be seen, is sinful 
and Pharisaical ; for the Pharisees listened to Jesus for much 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 155 

the same reasons, and hence derived no benefit from his dis- 
courses. 

What must we do during sermon ? 

We must listen to the preacher attentively, and respectfully, 
for it is God that speaks to us through him ; he that heareth 
you, heareth me (Luke x. 16). The preacher is the minister of 
God, for Christ said, Behold I send you (Matt. x. 10). If an 
ambassador reading the letters of his king is listened to with 
great attention, quiet, and respect, says St. Chrysostom, how 
much greater veneration should we not pay to the minister of 
God announcing his holy will ? Be careful, therefore, not to 
show contempt for the preacher, for that will reach back to 
God, who has said, He that despiseth you, despiseth me (Luke 
x. 16). Though the preacher himself, or his delivery, may be 
imperfect, yet his office, and the word of God which he an- 
nounces, must command our reverence. That word is, and 
always will be, a divine seed, which when well received, with- 
out regard to the person who sows it, or the manner in which 
it is sown, brings forth fruit an hundred-fold ; who sows does 
not make the difference, but on what soil it falls. Endeavor to 
be always the good ground, and then from the poorest sermons 
you will derive the best fruit. Be careful not to apply what is 
said in the sermon to others, but rather take heed to thyself (1 
Tim. iv. 16). Are you free from those sins which the sermon 
points at ? thank God, and do not on that account despise 
others who are not ; rather pray that they may be free from 
them in future, and take care yourself not to fall into them. 
We should be very careful not to sleep, speak, or give scandal, 
during the sermon, since we have to render account for each 
word that we neglect to hear. Remember, he that is of God 
heareth Goal's words (John viii. 41). 

What must we do after sermon ? 

We must endeavor to practise what we have heard ; for God 
justifies, not the hearers of the law, but only the doers (Rom. 
ii. 13) of it ; and the} r who hear only, but do not practise, are 
like a man beholding himself in a glass ; for he beholds himself, 
and goes his way, and presently forgets what manner of man 
he was (Jas. i. 22-24). As it is of no use for one thus to see 



156 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

himself unless he washes away the stains and spots that he he- 
holds, so is it useless for us to listen to the sermon, unless we 
are moved by it to amend our life ; on the contrary, we shall 
thereby become more displeasing to God, for that servant who 
knew the vrill of his lord, and prepared not himself and did 
not according to his will, shcdl be beaten with many stripes 
(Luke xii. 47). It had been better for them, says St. Peter (2 
Pet. ii. 21), not to have known the way of justice, than, after 
they have known it, to turn back from that holy commandment. 
In order to practise what we hear in the sermon, it is neces- 
sary in the first place, to keep it in our minds, to ponder it 
carefully and remember it. Christ, therefore, blesses those 
who hear the word of God and keep it (Luke xi. 28). Food 
which the stomach is unable to retain is of no benefit ; but it 
must be well digested to become nourishment and strength to 
man. The seed cannot bring forth fruit if not well covered 
with good ground, warmed by the sun, moistened by the rain 
and dew, and cared for in other ways. Think, therefore, not 
only on the same day, but during the whole week, of what you 
have heard in the sermon ; how you have practised it before, 
and how you are able and willing to practise it in future. 
Speak about it to others, and thereby will many idle words be 
prevented, and much good done. Let others also tell you 
what was said in the sermon, that they have heard; particu- 
larly should parents require this of children and servants. 
Finally, pray often to God, that he may keep alive in you the 
divine truths which you have heard. If this were done every- 
where, and particularly in every family, how much better 
would it be for Christianity. 

Aspiration. 
O my God, I am covered with shame, because the seed 
of thy divine word, which thou hast so abundantly sown in 
my heart, has brought forth so little fruit. Have mercy, O 
Lord, and change my heart, that it may become good ground, 
in which thy word may take root, thrive, grow, and finally 
bring forth the fruit* of salvation, which thou requirest of me. 
Amen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 157 



(Gninqnagesima Stntbag. 

On this Sunday, when so many Christians give themselves 
up to the dangerous pleasures of the world, the Church brings 
before our eyes Jesus, who, out of infinite love for us, died to 
remove the blindness of our hearts. At the Introit, in the 
words of the Psalmist, she calls upon God for help, with a sor- 
rowful but confident heart. Be thou unto me a protector and 
place of refuge ; save me, for thou art my strength and refuge, 
a>Ld for thy name's sake thou wilt be my leader, and icilt nour- 
ish me (Ps. xxx. 2-4). In thee, Lord, have I hoped ; let 
me never be confounded / deliver me in thy justice, and set me 
free. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Mercifully hear our prayers, O Lord, we beseech thee, and, 
absolving us from the bonds of sin, preserve us from all adver- 
sity. Through our Lord. Amen. 

Epistle. (1 Cor. xiii. 1-13.) 

Brethren : If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and 
hive not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. 
And if I should have prophecy, and should know all mysteries, and 
all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove 
mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And if I should dis- 
tribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body 
to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity 
is patient, is kind: charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely, is not 
puffed up, is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to 
anger, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with 
the truth: beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, 
endureth all things. Charity never falleth away: whether prophecies 
shall ba made void, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall be de- 
stroyed. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when 
that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done 
away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a 
child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away 
the things of a child. We see now through a glass in a dark manner : 



158 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

but then face to face. Now I know in part: but then I shall know 
even as I am known. And now there remain, faith, hope, charity, 
these three : but the greater of these is charity. 

Explanation. 

St. Paul here teaches the Romans, and ns in them, the neces- 
sity, the qualities, and the advantages of charity: 

The necessity / because all natural and supernatural gifts — 
all good works, virtues, and sacrifices — even martyrdom itself, 
— cannot save us, if we have no charity. By charity only are 
we and our w 7 orks pleasing to God ; without it, therefore, what- 
ever good we may do in fasting, prayer, almsgiving, labors, 
will neither be acceptable to him nor merit eternal life. 

The qualities of charity ; which are good-will without envy, 
suspicion, perversity, or malice ; pure intention without self- 
love, ambition, immodesty, or injustice ; untiring patience, 
without hastiness ; and finally, humble submission to God, 
who is all to him that possesses charity. 

The advantages of charity ; in that it gives to good works 
their value, and that it never fails ; for while all things else 
cease — while faith passes into seeing, hope into possession, 
knowledge in part into knowledge of the whole — charity is 
everlasting, and therefore the greatest of the three. " Faith," 
says St. Augustine, "lays the foundation of the house of God ; 
hope builds up the walls ; charity covers and completes it." 

Aspiration. 
O God of love, pour into my heart the spirit of charity, that, 
according to the spirit of St. Paul, I may always endeavor to 
be in the state of grace, that so all my works may be pleasing 
to thee, and of merit to me. Amen. 

Gospel. (Luke xviii. 31-43.) 
At that time: Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said to them : 
Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be accomplished 
which were written by the prophets concerning- the Son of man. For 
he shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and scourged, 
and spit upon : and after they have scourged him, they will put him 
to death, and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 159 

none of these things, and this word was hid from them, and they un- 
derstood not the things that were said. Now it came to pass when 
lie drew nigh to Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside, 
begging. And when he heard the multitude passing by, he asked 
what this meant. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was 
passing by. And he cried out, saying : Jesus, son of David, have 
mercy on me. And they that went before, rebuked him, that he 
should hold his peace. But he cried out much more : Son of David, 
have mercy on me. And Jesus standing, commanded him to be 
brought unto him. And when he was come near, he asked him, say- 
ing: What wilt thou that I do to thee? But he said: Lord, that I 
may see. And Jesus said to him : Receive thy sight : thy faith hath 
made thee whole. And immediately he saw, and followed him, glori- 
fying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. 

Why did our Saviour so often predict his sufferings to his 
Apostles ? 

1. To show that he was already apprised of them, thereby 
indicating his omniscience ; and that, 2. He desired to suffer. 
3. In order that when his disciples should see him punished as 
a malefactor, they might neither be scandalized at his humilia- 
tion, nor think evil of him as if he had deceived them, but, by 
their remembrance of his words, be rather confirmed in their 
belief in him as the Son of God and Redeemer of the world. 

Did not the Apostles understand any thing of what he thus 
predicted in regard to his sufferings ? 

They might have known that he was to suffer, for St. Peter 
undertook to dissuade him from it (Matt. xvi. 22), but they 
could not reconcile these predictions with their expectation of 
a future glorious kingdom. They did not understand the 
Holy Scripture and the prophecies of the Messiah, and hence 
could not comprehend why and to what end he should suffer, 
or how he should rise from the dead. All this was yet to be 
taught them by the Holy Ghost (John xiv. 16). We, also, 
shall never be able to cast off our prejudices, and to under- 
stand the truths of the faith, however plainly taught, until we 
are enlightened by the Holy Ghost. 

Why did Christ here, and on many other occasions, call 
himself the Son of man ? 



160 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

He who is the only-begotten of the eternal Father, thereby 
reminds ns of the* mystery of his incarnation and of his mercy 
towards us. In the Old Testament, Daniel (vii. 13) calls the 
future Redeemer by the same name. Let us learn hence to be 
humble, and not to desire high titles. 

Why does the blind man call Jesus the Son of David ? 

Because he believed him to be the Messias who was prom- 
ised to the Jews, from the line of David (Ps. cxxxi. 11). 

Why did Christ ask the blind man, What wilt thou that I do 
to thee? 

1 . That the blind man might the better testify his belief and 
hope to receive sight through Jesus ; and, 2. To teach us how 
willing Jesus is to help us, and how pleasing it is to him Avhen 
we make known our necessities to him, with confidence. 

What should Ave learn from this history of the blind man ? 

1. What an inexpressible misfortune is blindness of the 
heart ; a state in which we know not our God, our Redeemer 
and Sanctifier, and see neither the way of divine life, nor the 
hindrances to our salvation, but grope about in the darkness of 
ignorance and sin. 

2. Where to find one who will save us from this awful con- 
dition, in Jesus Christ healing and enlightening us through 
and in his Church. 

3. With what holy zeal and perseverance we should seek 
and call upon him for deliverance, disregarding alike the bad 
examples, persecutions, and mockery of the world. 

4. How fervently we should thank God, and how faithfully 
Ave should follow him, after he has opened the eyes of our soul 
and freed us, by his grace, from the spiritual blindness of sin. 

Why is this Gospel read to-day ? 

The Catholic Church would thereby remind us of the sor- 
rowful passion and death of Christ, in order to prepare us for 
the holy season of Lent, and prevent us from participating in 
the pleasures so common at this season, to which people of the 
world often give themselves up like the heathen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 161 

A Practical Instruction against the Amusements of the 

Carnival. 

By these amusements we do not mean those brief and harm- 
less recreations which are in conformity with the spirit of 
Christianity and the Church, but those noisy and wild festivi- 
ties, lasting often through the day and night ; such as dances 
and masquerades, which in some places are customary before 
Ash- Wednesday. Are such amusements of a Christian char- 
acter and becoming Catholics? Christianity enjoins self-denial, 
the suppression of sensuality, mortification, watchfulness, love 
of God above all things, a continual living in his holy presence, 
a careful use of time and care for one's household ; but on these 
occasions that we speak of, are not the sensual passions roused? 
is it not common to indulge in excesses, to make display of 
bad and scandalous conduct, to destroy health ? Does not ex- 
perience show, that these days of carnival never pass by with- 
out the sins of drunkenness and impurity, without bringing 
misery upon individuals and families? The Church, on the 
contrary, at this very time, wishes to prepare her children for 
penance, and accordingly brings before them the passion of 
Christ. How then can Catholics, unless they would deny their 
Mother, the Church, spend these days in revelling and drunk- 
enness, as if they wished to indemnify themselves in advance, 
for the coming season of Lent ? Are such Christians entitled 
to call themselves disciples of Christ, children of the Catholic 
Church? Many may say, "I neither think nor do evil by 
those pleasures." What then, good, perhaps? Do you think 
of God, your salvation, your duties, and the dangers in which 
you are ? Again, are you then doing good works ? and does 
not he do evil, who omits good works? Do you honor God 
in your revels ? Do you thereby show him your love ? You 
waste your time, your money, your health, and expose your- 
self to the danger of losing your good name and innocence; 
is not this bad enough? How many have perished by such 
occasions, and yet you will not profit by the lesson ? Do not 
excuse yourself by saying that you need recreation ; as if that 
were to be called recreation, by which you lose your soul. Or 



162 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

is it that you do feel refreshed the next day? Away, then, 
with such dangerous pleasures ! The joy of Christians should 
be to work and suffer with Christ, in order to rejoice eternally 
with him in the kingdom of his Father. 

Asjm'ation. 
O Jesus, who hadst so great a desire to suffer for our tem- 
poral and eternal good, grant that we, for thy sake, may hate 
all sensuality, but love mortification and the crucifixion of the 
flesh, and thereby merit to be freed from blindness of the soul, 
to know thee better, to love thee more fervently, and to pos- 
sess thee forever. Amen. 

Instruction on Lent. 

What is the origin of fasting ? 

Under the old law the Jews fasted by the command of God ; 
thus Moses fasted forty days and forty nights, on Mount Sinai, 
when God gave him the ten commandments ; Elias, in like 
manner, fasted in the desert. Jesus also fasted, and com- 
manded his Apostles to fast also. The Catholic Church, says 
St. Leo, from the time of the Apostles, has enjoined fasting 
upon all the faithful. 

Where does the Church derive power to prescribe fasts ? 

From Jesus Christ, who commissioned her to conduct the 
faithful by holy and needful precepts and rules on the way to 
Heaven. Fasting has always been considered the means of 
attaining virtue ; the Church can therefore command it, and 
whoever does not obey the Church, refuses obedience to Christ 
himself (Luke x. 16). 

Why has the Church instituted the fast before Easter? 

1. To imitate Jesus Christ, who fasted forty days. 2. To 
participate in his merits and passion ; for as Christ could only 
be glorified through his sufferings, so in order to belong to 
him, we must follow him, by a life answering to his. 3. To 
subject the flesh to the spirit, and to conquer sensual lusts 
which war against the soul, that we may live a pure and holy 
life, and thus, 4, prepare ourselves for Easter and the worthy 
reception of the Divine Lamb. Thus the Jews were obliged 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 163 

to prepare themselves, by chastising the body, for eating their 

Easier lamb, which was the figure and type of ours. 5. Fi- 
nally, to offer to God some satisfaction for our sins, and, as St. 
Leo says, to atone for the sins of a whole year by a short fist 
of the tenth part of a year : this can be most conveniently 
done at Lent, which is devoted particularly to meditation on 
the passion and death of Christ. The Church indicates these 
holy designs in her ceremonies during this season ; thus, to 
move us to sorrow and penance, and to meditation on the pas- 
sion of Christ, she covers her altars, removes the flowers, uses 
the violet color in the vestments of the priests and on her 
altars, omits the hymns of joy, forbids weddings, dances, and 
public amusements, and sighs without intermission, in her 
prayers, for mercy, grace, and assistance, that her children 
may be comforted to a better life. 

Oh, how necessary is it for men to be thus obliged, as it 
were, to enter into themselves ! 

Was the fast of Lent kept in early times as it is now ? 

Yes, only more rigorously; for, 1. The Christians of the 
early ages abstained not only from flesh-meat, but from those 
things which are produced from flesh, such as butter, eggs, 
cheese, and also from wine and fish ; although this last was not 
a general rule of the Church. 2. They fasted during the 
Avhole day, and ate only after vespers, that is, at night. How 
many Christians of our day, who think the present rules of 
fasting too severe, arW put to shame by these holy usages of 
antiquity! What kind of Christians are they, says St. Am- 
brose, who fatten their bodies, while Christ suffers from hun- 
ger ? He who committed no sin, fasts for us, while we refuse 
to mortify ourselves for our own sins, which are so many. 

How shall we keep the holy season of Lent with advantage ? 

Since, according to the doctrine of St. Leo, the most im- 
portant part of fasting consists in abstaining from sin, rather 
than in abstaining from food, and as the body will be use- 
lessly deprived of nourishment, if the soul is not kept clear 
of guilt, we should endeavor not only to deny ourselves food 
and drink, but still more, all sinful gratifications. And as the 
body is weakened by fasting, the soul on the other hand should 



164 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

be strengthened by repeated prayers, and earnest meditation 
on the passion of Christ ; by frequent reception of the Holy 
Sacraments; attending mass, spiritual reading, and good 
works, particularly those of charity : for, to have our fasting 
profitable, we should give to the poor what we refuse to our- 
selves. In such manner we shall be able, according to the in- 
tention of the Church, to supply by our fasting what we have 
omitted during the year, especially if we fast willingly, and 
with a good intention. 

What intention must we have in order to fast to our profit ? 

1. The intention of following Christ, and of applying to 
ourselves the merits of his passion ; 2. Of being obedient to 
his spouse, the Catholic Church, our Mother ; 3. Of offering 
our body to God, by willingly chastising it, as a holy, living, 
and pleasing sacrifice ; 4. Of asking God for his grace to avoid 
those sins we are most addicted to, and to acquire the opposite 
virtues. This intention we can with great merit renew every 
day, in saying the following 

Prayer. 
O Lord Jesus, I offer up to thee my fasting and self-denial, 
to be united to thy fasting and sufferings, for thy glory, in 
gratitude for so many benefits received from thee, in satisfac- 
tion for my sins and those of others, and to obtain thy holy 
grace that I may overcome my sins and acquire the virtues 
which I need. Look upon me, O Jesu#, in mercy. Amen. 



Instruction for Qlslj-toeonesban. 

Why is this day so called ? 

Because on this day the Catholic Church blesses ashes and 
puts them on the foreheads of the faithful, saying, " Remem- 
ber, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust shalt thou return" 
(Gen. iii. 19). 

Why are the ashes blessed ? 

1. That all who receive them with a contrite heart may be 
preserved in soul and body. 2. That God may give them con- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 105 

trition, and pardon their sins. 3. That he may grant them 
all they humbly ask for, particularly the grace to do penance, 
and the reward promised to the truly penitent (Rom. Missal). 

Why are the faithful sprinkled with ashes? 

The sprinkling with ashes was always a public sign of pen- 
ance; as such, God enjoined it upon the Israelites (Jerem. 
xxv. 34). David sprinkled ashes on his bread (Ps. ci. 10). 
The Xinevites (Jonas iii. 16), Judith (Jud. ix. 1), Mordecai 
(Esther iv. i), Job (lxii. 6), and others, did penance in sack- 
cloth and ashes. 



How should we receive the blessed ash 



9 



1. According to the intention with which they are blessed 
and sprinkled upon the heads of the faithful. 2. In humility, 
remembering and confessing that we are dust and ashes, and 
that for our sins we shall return to ashes again. 3. To testify 
before God and man that we are willing to commence the holy 
season of Lent, and are not ashamed to follow Christ, doing 
penance publicly, and bearing the ashes on our foreheads. 

To show the spirit of penance and to move God to mercy, 
the Church, at the Introit of the Mass, uses the following 
words (Wiad. xi. 24, 25) : u 27iou hast mercy upon all, Lord, 
and hatest none of the things which thou host made, overlook- 
ing the sins of men for the sake of repentance, and sparing 
them, for thou art the Lord our God. Save mercy on me, 
God, for my soul trusteth in thee." Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Grant to thy faithful, O Lord, that they may begin the ven- 
erable solemnities of fasting with becoming piety, and perform 
them with undisturbed devotion, through Christ. 

Epistle. (Joel ii. 12-19.) 

Thus saith the Lord : Be converted to me with all your heart, in 
fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning. And rend your hearts, 
and not yonr garments, and turn to the Lord your God: for he is 
gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to repent 
of the evil. Who knoweth but he will return, and forgive and leave 
a blessing behind him, sacrifice and libation to the Lord your God ? 



16G INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Blow the trumpet in Sion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly. 
Gather together the people, sanctify the church, assemble the ancients, 
gather together the little ones, and them that suck at the breasts : 
let the bridegroom go forth from his bed, and the bride out of her 
bride-chamber. Between the porch and the altar the priests, the 
Lord's ministers, shall weep, and shall say : Spare, O Lord, spare thy 
people : and give not thy inheritance to reproach, that the heathens 
should rule over them. Why should they say among the nations: 
Where is their God? The Lord hath been zealous for his land, and 
hath spared his people. And the Lord answered and said to his 
people: Behold I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and you shall 
be filled with them : and I will no more make you a reproach among 
the nations, saith the Lord Almighty. 

Explanation. 
The prophet, in these words, calls upon the Israelites to be 
converted, reminding them of the great mercy of God, and 
exhorting them to join true repentance for their sins with their 
fasting and alms. They should all, without exception, do pen- 
ance and implore the mercy of God, who would then forgive 
them, deliver them from their enemies, and bring peace and 
happiness upon them. 

Gospel. (St. Matt. vi. 16-21.) 

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples: When you fast, be not as 
the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may 
appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received 
their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and 
wash thy face, that thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy 
Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will 
repay thee. Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth : where the 
rust and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal. 
But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven : where neither rust nor 
moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor 
steal. For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also. 

How do hypocrites receive their reward ? 

They receive their reward from men, and have nothing else 
to expect, for only works done for eternity will be eternally 
rewarded. Such are those that are done for God's sake, and 
with his assistance. The true Christian lives in God, and in 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 167 

truth ; but to live with tlie world and for mere appearance, is 
contrary to the life of Christians. All those persons therefore 
are to be counted among hypocrites who observe the obliga- 
tion of lasting merely in order not to be censured by men, 
and not to appear without faith or religion ; so too are those 
who pretend to be sick that they may be dispensed from 
tasting. 

What did Christ mean when he said, but thou, token thou 
fastest, anoint thy head and wash thy face ? 

To anoint the head and wash the face, were, in the East, the 
tokens of cleanliness and propriety. By these words, there- 
fore, Jesus said as much as, " When you fast appear as usual, 
and do not make a show of your fasting, by your singularity." 

Why does Christ join contempt for earthly treasures with 
fisting? 

To take away the miserable pretence of those who fast from 
avarice, and on account of the petty saving. " Let us fast," 
*saya St. Augustine, "that the savings maybe deposited by the 
hands of the poor in the treasury of Jesus Christ, and not 
serve as a nourishment for our avarice. Where thy treasure 
is, there is thy heart also." Wherever that is which thou 
lovest best, there are thy desires, thy thoughts, thy works. Is 
thy treasure of the earth, thy desire will be of the earth also, 
and will perish with it. Is thy treasure in heaven, thy 
thoughts and works will be there also, and remain forever. 

Meditation. 

Jesus goes with his disciples to Mount Olivet. Be thou also 
prepared for the combat. 

Prayer of the Church over the People. 

We bow down before thy majesty, O Lord ; look upon us 
in mercy, that, comforted by divine gifts, we may always be 
nourished by heavenly assistance. Amen. 



168 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



&l)nrsbati after &sl)-iX)euncsucu). 

Introit of the Mass (Ps. liv.) When levied to the Lord, he 
heard my voice from them that draw near to me, and he hum- 
bled them, who is before all ages, and remains forever. Cast 
thy care upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. LLear, 
God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication ; be atten- 
tive to me and hear me. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who by sin art offended, and by penance pacified, 
mercifully regard the prayers of thy people, making supplica- 
tions to thee, and turn away the scourges of thy anger, which 
we deserve for our sins. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Isaias xxxviii. 1-6.) 

In those days Ezechias was sick even to death, and Isaias the son of 
Amos the prophet came unto him, and said to him: Thus saith the 
Lord : Take order with thy house, for thou shalt die and not live. 
And Ezechias turned his face towards the Avail, and prayed to the 
Lord, and said : I beseech thee, Lord, remember how I have walk- 
ed before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that 
which is good in thy sight. And Ezechias Avept with great weeping. 
And the word of the Lord came to Isaias, saying : Go and say to Eze- 
chias: Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father: I have 
heard thy prayer, and I have seen thy tears : behold I will add to thy 
days fifteen years: and I will deliver thee and this city out of the 
hand of the king of the Assyrians, and I will protect it, saith the 
Lord Almighty. 

Explanation. 

When Sennacherib, king of Assyria, was threatening the 
kingdom of Juda, Isaias, by the command of God, announced 
to king Ezechias, that he should die. He thereupon prayed 
fervently to God, and obtained what he prayed for: God add- 
ed to his life fifteen years, and delivered him and Jerusalem 
fro;;] the king of the Assyrians. Thus God hears the prayers 
of the just who confide in him; he is moved by our tears, and 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 16'9 

either restores to health, or grants a death, precious in his 
sight, freeing us forever from the enemies of our salvation. 



(Matt. viii. 1-13.) Sec p. 122. 

What do we learn by this Gospel ? 

That towards the Gentiles also our Saviour is kind and char- 
itable. Let us, therefore, despise no one ; let us not refuse 
charity and assistance to the unhappy man, because he thinks 
differently from us, or belongs to another religion, unless we 
would forfeit our own salvation. 

Meditation. 
Jesus is sorrowful and prays on Mount Olivet. Are you sad 
and downcast, have recourse to prayer. 

Prayer. 
Spare, O Lord, spare thy people, that having been justly 
punished for their sins, they may find comfort in thy mercy. 
Through our Lord. 



iribaj} after &s!)~tXkbncsbatL 

Introit of the Mass (Ps. xxix). The Lord hath heard, and 
hath J tad mercy on me ; the Lord became my helper. I will 
extol thee, Lord, for thou hast upheld me, and hast not 
made my enemies to rejoice over me. Glory be to the Father. 

Epistle. (Isaias lviii. 1-9.) 

Thus saith the Lord God : Cry, cease not, lift up thy voice like a 
trumpet, and show my people their wicked doings, and the house of 
Jacob their sins. For they seek me from day to day, and desire to 
know my ways, as a nation that hath done justice, and hath not for- 
saken the judgment of their God : they ask of me the judgments of 
justice: they are willing to approach to God. Why have we fasted, 
and thou hast not regarded : have we humbled our souls, and thou 
hast not taken notice? Behold in the day of your fast your own will 
is found, and you exact of all vour debtors. Behold you fast for de- 
8 



170 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

bates and strife, and strike with the fist wickedly. Do not fast as 
yon have done until this day, to make your cry to be heard on high. 
Is this such a fast as I have chosen : for a man to afflict his soul for a 
day? is this it, to wind his head about like a circle,' and to spread 
sackcloth and ashes ? wilt thou call this a fast, and a day acceptable 
to the Lord ? Is not this rather the fast that I have chosen ? loose 
the bands of wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress, let them that 
are broken go free, and break asunder every burden. Deal thy bread 
to the hungry, and bring the needy and the harborless into thy house : 
when thou shalt see one naked, cover him, and despise not thy own 
flesh. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health 
shall speedily arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the 
glory of the Lord shall gather thee up. Then shalt thou call, and the 
Lord shall hear : thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. Because 
T thy Lord God am merciful. 

Explanation. 

God commanded the prophet Isaias to show to his people 
their wicked doings, and to exhort them to true penance and 
amendment of life, without which their fasting would avail 
them nothing. Thus, they should lay aside the evil thoughts 
by which, though fasting, they ofi'ended God ; desist from 
oppression of their neighbors ; and from spending their days in 
disputes and strife. Their fasting and winding of their heads 
at prayer, would be nothing without their thus becoming bet- 
ter men. If, however, they abstained from sin, as well as from 
food ; if they were merciful and charitable to their neighbors, 
then their self-denial would be acceptable to God, and he 
would bless them with temporal and eternal goods. From 
this warning learn how to fast and pray. 



(Mat. v. 43-48; vi. 1-4.) 

At that time Jesus said to his disciples: You have heard that it 
hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thy enemy: 
but I say to you, Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: 
and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you : that you may be 
the children of your Father which is in heaven, who maketh his sun 
to rise upon the good, and bad, and rainetli upon the just and the 
unjust. For if you love them that love you, what reward shall you 
have? do not even the publicans this? And if you salute your breth- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 171 

ren only, what do you more? do not also the heathens this? Be yon 
therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect. Take heed, 
that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: other- 
wise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven. 
Therefore when thou dost an almsdeed, sound not a trumpet before 
thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that 
they may be honored by men. Amen I say to you, they have re- 
ceived their reward. But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand 
know what thy right hand doth. That thy alms may be in secret, 
and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay thee. 

Explanation. 

Our Saviour teaches us in this Gospel, to love our enemies, 
and not to practice good works out of vanity, or for the praise 
of men, but only to please God, and to fulfil his holy will. 
What is not done for God's sake will not be rewarded in 
eternity. 

Meditation. 

Jesus' bloody sweat on Mount Olivet. What sorrow should 
you have for your sins, when Jesus is so sorrowful for those of 
others ! 

Prayer over the People. 

Defend thy people, O Lord, and mercifully cleanse them 
from all sins, for no adversity will hurt them, if no iniquity 
enslave them. Through Christ our Lord. 



Saturbaj] after ^slj-tDebnesbajh 
The Introit of the Mass the same as yesterday. 

Prayer. 

Be attentive, O Lord, to our supplications, and grant that 
we may celebrate with devout homage this solemn fast, which 
is a wholesome institution to heal both our souls and bodies. 
Through Christ. 



172 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Epistle. (Isaias lviii. 9-14.) 

Thus saith the Lord God : If thou wilt take away the chain out 
of the midst of thee, and cease to stretch out the finger, and to speak 
that which profiteth not. When thou shalt pour out thy soul to the 
hungry, and shall satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise up 
in darkness, and thy darkness shall be as the noon-day. And the 
Lord will give thee rest continually, and will fill thy soul with bright- 
ness, and deliver thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered garden, 
and like a fountain of water whose waters shall not fail. And the 
plnces that have been desolate for ages shall be built in thee : thou 
shalt raise up the foundations of generation and generation : and thou 
shalt be called the repairer of the fences, turning the paths into rest. 
If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy own 
will in my holy day, and call the sabbath delightful, and the holy of 
the Lord glorious, and glorify him, while thou dost not thy own ways, 
and thy own will is not found, to speak a word: then shalt thou be 
delighted in the Lord, and I will lift thee up above the high places of 
the earth, and will feed thee with the inheritance of Jacob thy father. 
For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. 

In this epistle, God promises happiness and rest to those 
who take off the bonds of many, who are peaceable and silent, 
and who help the poor. He also promises the fulness of bless- 
ing to those who keep holy the Sabbath day. Let us learn 
from this, to be peaceable to all men, to govern our tongues, 
to be merciful towards the needy, and to sanctify the days of 
the Lord by a holy joy and veneration: then we shall be re- 
warded here on earth, as well as in heaven above. 

Gospel. (Mark vi. 47-56.) 

At that time: when it was late, the ship was in the midst of the 
sea, and Jesus alone on the land. And seeing them laboring in 
rowing (for the wind was against them), and about the fourth watch 
of the night he cometh to them walking upon the sea, and he would 
have passed by them. But they seeing him walking upon the sea, 
thought it was nn apparition, and they cried out. For they all saw- 
him, and were troubled. And immediately he spoke with them, and 
said to them: Have a good heart, it is I, fear ye not. And he went 
up to them into the ship, and the wind ceased: and they were far 
more astonished within themselves: for they understood not con- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 173 

cerning the loaves; for their heart was blinded. And when they 
had passed over, they came into the land of Genesareth, and set to the 
shore. And when they were gone out of the ship, immediately they 
knew him: and running through that whole country, they began to 
carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. 
And whithersoever he entered, into towns or into villages or cities, 
they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might 
touch but the hem of his garment: and as many as touched him were 
made whole. 

Explanation. 
The boisterous sea is the world ; the waves are temptations. 
The Lord is always nigh us, when we are tempted, although 
not always visible. Never, therefore, be discouraged ; have 
confidence in him, the Almighty, the All-present ; pray, watch, 
chastise thy body, purify thy heart with tears of penance, and 
thou wilt receive assistance. 

Meditation. 
Jesus is comforted by an angel on Mount Olivet. 

Prayer over the People. 

May thy faithful, O Lord, be confirmed by thy gifts, that 
receiving them, they may seek them, and seeking may receive 
them forever. Through Christ. 



-first Snnban in Cent; calleb Incorabit. 

Why is this Sunday called Invocabit ? 

Because the Introit of the Mass commences with this word ; 
for all the Sundays during Lent, and between Easter and 
Pentecost, derive their appellations from the Introits of the 
Mass. Protestants, also, sometimes use these names, although 
to have been consistent, they should, on abolishing the mass 
itself, also have abolished these names taken from the Introits 
of the Mass. 

Introit. lie shall call upon me, and J will hear him ; I 
will deliver him and glorify him ; I will fill him with length 



174: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

of days. He that dwdleth in the aid of the Most High shall 
abide under the protection of the God of Heaven (Ps. xc.) 
Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer of the' Church. 
O God, who dost purify thy Church by the annual observ- 
ance of Lent, grant to thy servants, that what they endeavor 
to obtain of thee by abstinence, they may pursue by good 
works. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (2 Cor. vi. 1-10.) 
Brethren : TTe do exhort you that you receive not the grace of God 
in vain. For he saith : " In an accepted time have I heard thee : and 
in the day of salvation have I helped thee. 1 ' Behold now is the ac- 
ceptable time : behold now is the day of salvation. Giving no offence 
to any man, that our ministry be not blamed: but in all things let us 
exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in tribu- 
lation, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in prisons, in seditions, 
in labors, in watchings, in fastings, in chastity, in knowledge, in long- 
suffering, in sweetness, in the Holy Ghost, in charity unfeigned, in the 
word of truth, in the power of God: by the armor of justice on the 
right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and 
good report : as deceivers, and yet true : as unknown, and yet known: 
as dying, and behold we live: as chastised, and not killed : as sorrow- 
ful, yet always rejoicing: as needy, yet enriching many: as having 
nothing, and possessing all things. 

Why is this epistle read to day? 

By this epistle the Church admonishes us to profit by Lent, 
as a season of grace, to spend it in earnestly combating sin, 
ami the diligent performance of good works. Let us, there- 
fore, not suffer this spiritual harvest-time to pass by without 
advantage, but practice zealously, temperance, patience, chas- 
tity, liberality, love of God and of our neighbor. Let us put 
on the armor of a just life, on the right hand and on the left; 
that is, let us endeavor to arm ourselves against the enemies of 
our salvation, who surround us on all sides, by frequent medi- 
tations, by prayer, by receiving devoutly the Holy Sacraments, 
by fasting and other acts of piety: let us fight with courage, 
that we may conquer. Let us not, when doing good Avorks, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 175 

or practising penance, regard either the mockery, persecution, 
dishonors, contempt or praise of men ; it is an abundant re- 
ward when we can be pleasing to God, be useful to our fellow- 
men by good example, and gain eternal happiness. 

Aspiration. 
O Jesus, enable us to co-operate at all times with thy holy 
grace, and to make good use of the time which thou hast 



grv 



en us for obtaining life everlasting. Amen. 



*a 



Gospel. QJatt. iv. 1-11.) 

At that time : Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert, to be 
tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and 
forty nights, afterwards he was hungry. And the tempter coming, 
said to him: If thou he the Son of God, command that these 
stones be made bread. Who answered and said: It is written, "IvTot 
in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from 
the mouth of God." Then the devil took him up into the holy city, 
and set him upon the piannacle of the temple, and said to him : If thou 
be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written: "That he 
hath given his Angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they 
bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone." Jesus 
said to him: It is written again: "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord 
thy God." Again the devil took him up into a very high mountain : 
and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of 
them, and said to him: All these will I give thee, if falling down, 
thou wilt adore me. Then Jesus saith to him: Begone, Satan, for it 
is written, "The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt 
Thou serve." Then the devil left him: and behold Angels came and 
ministered to him. 

Br uf Lessons. « 

I. Jesus was led by the Holy Ghost into the desert in order 
to prepare himself there, by fasting forty days and forty nights, 
for his holy ministry. The tempter here approaches him and 
seeks to betray him, at one time into distrust, at another time 
into presumptuous reliance on the Divine Providence, to cause 
him to fall into pride, and even into apostasy from God, in 
order that the redemption of mankind may be frustrated. In 
what close and vital connection with us does Jesus here stand! 



170 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Tempted as we are, but not yielding to sin, he becomes, as 
St. Paul says (Hebr. iv. 14), a high-priest, who knows how to 
regard our frailties with compassion. He also becomes to us 
an example how to put to flight and conquer the tempter with 
the sword of God's word (Eph. vi. 11). Let us then follow 
Christ into the combat : with his assistance it will not be diffi- 
cult to conquer. Those great temptations of sensual lust, 
pride, and avarice, he has taught us to overcome, and when 
they are vanquished, it is the easier to conquer the others. As 
the reward of our courage, he promises that we shall sit with 
him on his throne, as he, after his victory, is now seated on the 
throne with his Father (Apoc. iii. 21). 

II. When the Son of God permits himself to be thus tempt- 
ed, what can justify us in the wish to be above all frailties and 
inducements to sin ? 

III. After he had overcome the devil, Angels came and 
ministered to Jesus ; by which we learn that they who over- 
come temptations enjoy the consolation and assistance of the 
Angels. Should not this encourage us to combat joyfully to 
the^end ? 

Wessons for Faith and Practice in regard to Temptations. 
" To be tempted by the devil." — Matt. iv. 1. 

"What is temptation ? 

By temptation we understand every inducement to trans- 
gress the commandments of God. Temptations are either 
from within or without. 

How are we tempted from within ? 

By our own concupiscence (James i. 14) ; for the flesh lusteth 
against the spirit (Gal. v. 11). 

How are we tempted from from without ? 

1. By the world and its dangerous allurements; such as 
riches, human respect, the pleasures of dances, theatres, and 
such like, which provoke and stimulate lust (l John ii. 15). 

2. By bad men, who would seduce us to evil by false prin- 
ciples, bad books, shameless example, flattery, and even by 
force. Thus was Joseph tempted by the wife of Potiphar ; 
Job and Tobias, by their own wives. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 177 

3. By the devil, who, having tempted and seduced our first 
parents, also tempted Jesus, and yet goes about as a roaring 
lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. v. 8). But his 
power is limited; he can do nothing but what God permits. 
St. Augustine therefore compares him with a dog that is 
chained, that can hurt no one but those who put themselves 
within his reach. 

How does the devil tempt us? 

Taught by long experience, he moves the natural concupis- 
cence to such sins as he sees men particularly inclined to, and 
then deceives and confuses the man's mind, that he may not 
see clearly either the temporal loss, or the dishonor and danger 
of sin. Thus he seduced Eve : first exciting her curiosity at 
the sight of the forbidden fruit, and then making her proud ; 
after which she became disobedient (1 Pet. v.) 

Does God also tempt us ? 

St. James says (i. 13), Let no man, when he is tempted, say 
that he, is tempted by God ; for God is not a tempter of evils, 
and he tempteth no man. But he allows us to be tempted, 
sending us manifold trials. Thus were tempted Abraham, 
Joseph, the Machabee brothers, the woman of Cana, and all 
the saints. When God, therefore, says (Deut. xii. 13), For the 
Lord your God trieth you that it may appear whether you 
love him icith all your heart, and with all your soul, or not, 
the meaning is, that God does not hinder temptations from 
coming upon us, that thereby the virtues of the just may be 
known. The more we love God, and the more we work for 
his glory, the more are we exposed to temptation. 

Does God permit us to be tempted beyond our strength ? 

ZSTo ; for he is in us, combats with us, and gives us always as 
much strength as is required to conquer temptations, and even 
to gain advantage from them (1 Cor. x. 13). 

Are temptations of themselves injurious? 

So long as they are displeasing to us, and we do not consent 
to them, they are of no harm to us; while by bravely over- 
coming them, they become to us a means of obtaining a crown 
in heaven (Apoc. iii. 12). 

When do we consent to temptation ? 

8 : 



178 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

When we decide, knowingly and willingly, to do the evil 
proposed to us ; but so long as we make the least resistance, 
we do not consent. 

What are the best means to overcome temptation ? 

1. Humility and constant prayer, by which we acknowledge 
our frailty and insufficiency before God, and invoke his assist- 
ance with great confidence. Hereby we compel God, as it 
were, to assist us, for he resisteth the proud and giveth grace 
to the humble (James iv. 6). 

2. The recollection that God is everywhere present. For 
how should we dare to think, or do any evil before our Judge, 
which we should be ashamed of before men ? 

3. The thought of death, as of something which may follow 
immediately after we have consented to sin ; of the eternal 
pains of hell, which may be the punishment of one moment's 
sinful pleasure ; and of heaven, the reward of those who over- 
come temptations. 

4. The consideration of those truths of our holy religion 
with which our Saviour repulses Satan. 

5. The anticipation, on the one hand, of the remorse, distress 
of mind, fear and agony which follow upon sin ; and, on the 
other, of the joy and happiness of overcoming temptation. 

6. To turn away from temptations; directing our thoughts 
to modest and innocent objects; praying devoutly the sixth 
petition of the Lord's prayer, " lead us not into temptation ;" 
calling on the holy name of Jesus ; making the sign of the 
cross, and sprinkling ourselves with holy water. 

7. By invoking the aid of Mary, of our Guardian Angel, our 
Patron Saint, and others. 

8. By avoiding the occasion of sin : He that loveth danger 
shall perish in it (Ecclus. iii. 27). 

9. By constant occupation. 

Aspiration. 

O Lord Jesus, who didst fast forty days and forty nights in 
the desert, and didst permit Satan to tempt thee, give me thy 
grace to guard against temptation, to have recourse to thee, 
and with thy assistance to persevere and conquer, that I may 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 179 

receive the crown of eternal glory, which thou hast promised 
for a reward to those who overcome. Amen. 



iitonban in tl)e inrst toeck of Cent. 

Tntroit of the Mass. As the eyes of servants are on the 
hands of their master, so are our eyes unto the Lord our God, 
until he have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us (Ps. 
cxxii). To thee have lifted up my eyes, who dicellest in the 
heaven. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 
Convert us, O God, our salvation ; and that the fast of Lent 
may benefit us, instruct our minds with heavenly discipline. 
Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Ezech. xxxiv. 11-16.) 

Thus saith the Lord God : Behold I myself will seek my sheep, 
and will visit them. As the shepherd visiteth his flock in the day 
when he shall be in the midst of his sheep that were scattered, so will 
I visit my sheep, and will deliver them out of all the places where 
they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will 
bring them out from the peoples, and will gather them out of the 
countries, and will bring them to their own land : and I will feed them 
in the mountains of Israel, by the rivers, and in all the habitations of 
the land. I will feed them in the most fruitful pastures, and their 
pastures shall be in the high mountains of Israel: there shall they 
rest on the green grass, and be fed in fat pastures upon the mountains 
of Israel I will feed my sheep: and 1 will cause them to lie down, 
snirh the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost: and that 
which was driven away, I will bring again : and I will bind up that 
which was broken, and I will strengthen that which was weak, and 
that which was fat and strong I will preserve : and I will feed them 
in judgment, saith the Lord Almighty. 

Explanation. 
The prophet hear speaks of the deliverance of the Jews from 
the captivity of Babylon, by the immediate interference of 



180 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

God ; but in a higher sense, this represents the bringing of all 
nations into one fold, under one shepherd, Jesus Christ. 
How many benefits do we owe to this Good Shepherd ! He 
cleanses our souls by his word and sacraments. He defends 
us against our enemies, and rests not until he finds and brings 
back to the fold any one who has wandered away by a sinful 
life. Thanks, continual thanks, to thee, O Good Shepherd, for 
thy care ; and grant that we may learn more and more of thy 
goodness, and come nearer and nearer to thee by hearty and 
active love, never to be separated from thee again. 

Gospel. (Matt. xxv. 31-46.) 
At that time Jesus said to his disciples : "When the Son of man shall 
come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit up- 
on the seat of his majesty. And all nations shall be gathered together 
before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd 
separateth the sheep from the goats : and he shall set the sheep on his 
right hand, but the goats on his left. Then shall the king say to 
them that shall be on his right hand : Come, ye blessed of my Father, 
possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the 
world. For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat : I was thirsty, 
and you gave me to drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in : 
naked, and you covered me : sick, and you visited me : I was in 
prison, and you came to me. Then shall the just answer him, saying : 
Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and fed thee ; thirsty, and gave 
thee drink ? and when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in ? 
or naked, and covered thee? or when did we see thee sick or in 
prison, and came to thee ? And the king answering, shall say to 
them : Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my 
least brethren, you did it to me. Then he shall say to them also that 
shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlast- 
ing fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was 
hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me 
not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in : naked, and 
you covered me not : sick and in prison, and you did not visit me. 
Then they also shall answer him, sa} T ing: Lord, when did we see thee 
hungry or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and 
did not minister to thee? Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen 
I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did 
you do it to me. And these shall go into everlasting punishment, but 
the just into life everlasting. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 181 

Why does the Church read this Gospel? 

To remind us often of the last judgment, and to exhort us to 
a Christian lite. 

Why does Jesus enjoin these works of charity as though 
they were to be done to himself? 

He would thereby teach us that those works only are good 
which we do through faith in him, and for his sake. A deed 
of charity done to the least of his brethren is thus really done 
to him, for he lives in those belonging to him (John vi. 57). 
Works of mercy are in general works of charity towards our 
neighbor, and as such fulfil the whole law, because true charity 
towards our neighbor is done for God's sake, and implies, 
therefore, the love of God. 

Why will the punishment of the wicked be everlasting ? 

Because they can never again be good, inasmuch as God 
withdraws from them that grace of which in their lifetime the} 
made no use (John hi. 36). 

By unbelief a man may for a time exclude the thought of 
hell from his mind, but to contemplate it with the eyes of faith, 
will deter him from the way which leads thither. Be not sat- 
isfied, therefore, O Christian, to have made on this day a med- 
itation on the everlasting punishment of hell ; repeat it at least 
once or twice every week ; impress deeply on thy soul the 
remembrance of the last judgment. In all thy works remem 
her thy last end, and never shalt thou sin (Ecclus. vii. 40). 

Meditation. 

Jesus meets his enemies, and saying, I am he, shows their 
inability to take him, if it were not by his will. Thus, no evil 
can visit thee, unless God permits it. 

Prayer of the Church over the People. 

Loosen, we beseech thee, O Lord, the chains of our sins, and 
being appeased, avert whatever we deserve for them. Through 
Christ. 



182 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

&uesban. MvBt ttJeek in Cent. 

Introit of the Mass. .Lard, thou hast been our refuge from 
generation to generation, from eternity to eternity thou art 
(Ps. lxxx.) Before the mountains ivere made, or the earth and 
the world were formed, from eternity to eternity thou art God. 
Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Look down upon thy family, O Lord, and grant that our 
minds, which are afflicted by the mortifications of the flesh, may 
shine in thy light with the desire of thee. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Isaias Iv. 6-11.) 

In those days, Tsaias the prophet spoke, saying: Seek ye the Lord, 
while he may be found: call upon him, while he is near. Let the 
wicked forsake his way, and the unjust man his thoughts, and let 
Mm return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our 
God : for he is bountiful to forgive. For my thoughts are not j^our 
thoughts: nor your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heav- 
ens are exalted above the earth, so are my ways exalted above your 
ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts. And as the rain and 
snow come down from heaven, and return no more thither, but soak 
the earth, and water it, and make it to spring, and give seed to the 
sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be, which shall go 
forth from my mouth : it shall not return to me void, but it shall do 
whatsoever I please, and shall prosper in the things for which I sent 
it, saith the Lord Almighty. 

Explanation. 

The prophet admonishes us that the sinner should improve 
the time of grace for his sincere conversion ; and, since God 
is so willing to receive him, that he should not be deterred 
either by the multitude or magnitude of his sins, for God's 
mercy is greater still. Remember what St. Bernard says, in 
explaining the words, seek ye the Lord while he may be found. 
There are three reasons why God is sought in vain : that men 
do not seek him at the right time, or in the right manner, or 
r« the place where he is to be found. The right time is, this 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 183 

life; for death is the end of seeking Christ; the door is then 
shut. The right manner is, to seek him with an ardent desire 
and with perseverance. The right place is, in the contempla- 
tion of the life, suffering, and death of Jesns here, and of his 
glory in heaven. Seek, therefore, the Lord in time, seek him 
with fervor, in prayer and meditation. 

Gospel. (Mat. xxi. 10-17.) 

At that time when Jesus was come into Jerusalem, the whole city 
was moved, saying : Who is this ? And the people said : This is 
Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus went into 
the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the 
temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the 
chairs of them that sold doves : and he saith to them : It is written, 
" My house shall be called the house of prayer : but you have made it 
a den of thieves." And there came to him the blind, and the lame in 
the temple ; and he healed them. And the chief-priests and scribes 
seeing the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in 
the temple, and saying: Hosanna to the son of David ; were moved 
with indignation, and said to him: Hearest thou wdiat these say? 
And Jesus said to them : Yea, have you never read : " Out of the mouth 
of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise?" And leaving 
them, he went out of the city into Bethania, and remained there. 

Practice. 
According to the doctrine of the fathers, we may by the 
temple understand mankind in general, and also every soul 
of man which is defiled by sin and vice, as the temple at Je- 
rusalem was by buying and selling, usury and fraud. Jesus 
came to purify the temple from these sins. With his assistance, 
therefore, destroy without mercy thy sins, concupiscence, bad 
habits, and whatever desecrates thy heart, that God may have 
his dwelling in thee, and thou mayest love and praise him with 
a pure mind. 

Meditation. 

Jesus is betrayed by Judas with a kiss. Hast thou never led 
others into sin by flattery? Hast thou never, under the cloak 
of friendship, destroyed others by fraud ? 



184 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Prayer of the Church over the People. 
May our prayers ascend to thee, O Lord, and repel all 
wickedness from thy Church. Amen. 



tXkftnesbag. iFirst toeek in Cent. 

EMBER-DAY. 

Introit of the Mass. Remember, Lord, thy bowels of 
compassion, and thy mercies that are from the beginning of 
the world, lest at any time our enemies rule over us / deliver us, 

God of Israel, fro?n all our tribulation (Ps. xxiv.) To 
thee, Lord, have J lifted up my soul; in thee, my God, 

1 put my trust, let me not be ashamed. Glory be to the 
Father. 

Prayer. 
Mercifully hear our prayers, we beseech thee, O Lord, and 
against all our adversaries extend the right hand of thy 
majesty. Through Christ. Amen. 

Epistle. (3 Kings xix. 3-8.) 
In those clays came Elias, to Bersabee of Juda, and left his servant 
there, and he went forward, one day's journey into the desert. And 
when he was there, and sat under a juniper-tree, he requested for his 
soul that he might die, and said : It is enough for me, Lord, take away 
my soul : for I am no better than my fathers. And he cast himself 
down, and slept in the shadow of the juniper-tree: and behold an 
angel of the Lord touched him, and said to him : Arise and eat. lie 
looked, and behold there was at his head a hearth-cake, and a vessel 
of water: and he ate and drank, and he fell asleep again. And the 
angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and 
said to him: Arise, eat: for tho'i hast yet a great way to go. And 
he arose, and ate, and drank, and walked in the strength of that 
food forty days and forty nights, unto the mount of God, Horeb. 

Explanation. 
The prophet Elias, in the land of Juda, caused the putting 
to death of the idolatrous priests of Haul, after he had defended 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 185. 

against them, by a great miracle, the adoration and worship of 
the one true God. The impious Queen Jezabel heard of it, and 
'threatened him with death; he tiled into the desert. But God 
does not forsake those that belong to him : He sent to Elias 
food, in the strength of which he walked forty days and forty 
nights unto the mount of Horeb, where God appeared to him, 
giving him important commands. The holy fathers say, that 
the juniper-tree in whose shadow Elias slept, signifies the cross 
of Christ, in whose shadow all those who are suffering find 
rest : the food with which he was strengthened, represents the 
holy communion, and the forty days and nights in which he 
neither ate nor drank, the forty days' fasting of Jesus Christ. 



Gospel. (Matt. xii. 38-50.) 

At that time, some of the Scribes and Pharisees answered Jesns, 
saying: Master, we would see a sign from thee. Who answering said 
to them : An evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign : and a sign 
shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas 
was in the whale's belly three days and three nights : so shall the Son 
of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. The 
men of Xinive shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall 
condemn it : because they did penance at the preaching of Jonas. 
And behold a greater than Jonas here. The queen of the south shall 
rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it : because 
she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, 
and behold a greater than Solomon here. And when an unclean 
spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places seeking 
rest, and findeth none. Then he saith : 1 will return into my house 
from whence I came out. And coining he findeth it empty, swept, 
and garnished. Then he goeth, and taketh with him seven other 
spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there : 
and the last state of that man is made worse than the first. So shall 
it be also to this wicked generation. As he was yet speaking to the 
multitudes, behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking 
to speak to him. And one said unto him : Behold thy mother and 
thy brethren stand without, seeking thee. But he answering him 
that told him, said : Who is my mother, and who are my brethren ? 
And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said : Behold 
my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my 
Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother. 



186 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



Practice. 



Like the Pharisees are those Christians who, not content 
with all proofs and the most manifest miracles, demand still 
others that are new. Christ has risen from the dead, giving 
the fullest evidence of his Godhead, of the divine character of 
his doctrine and institutions, showing himself to be the Lord 
of life and death, and fulfilling, before the whole world, the 
sign of the prophet Jonas. And yet they believe not. Alas 
for them ! The Ninevites and Queen of the South shall rise 
up against them on the day of Judgment. But thou who be- 
lievest, fulfil what thou believest — the will of thy Heavenly 
Father ; then shalt thou be brother, sister, and mother to 
Jesus, thou receiving him into thy heart, and he being born 
again in thee. What an honor for us sinners ! 

Meditation. 

Jesus is i>ound and sent to Annas. Oh, what love! He 
wears those bonds that I ought to have worn, and shall I not 
love him in return ? 

Prayer of the Church over the People. 

Illuminate our minds we beseech thee, O Lord, with the 
brightness of thy light, that we may see what we ought to do, 
and also may have strength to fulfil the same. Through our 
Lord. 

(To-day, Friday, and Saturday, read the instructions on Em- 
ber-days, and say the prayer for obtaining good priests.) 



(Hl)nrsuaij. JTivst ttleek in Cent. 

Introit of the Mass. Praise and beauty are before him • 
holiness and majesty in his sanctuary (Ps. xcv.) Sing ye to 
the Lord, a new canticle, sine/ to the Lord, all the earth. Glory 
be to the Father. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 187 

Prayer. 

Look, O Lord, upon the devotion of thy people, that we, 
who are afflicted in body by abstinence, may be refreshed in 
mind by the fruit of good works. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Ezech. xviii. 1-9.) 

In those days the word of the Lord came to me, saying : What is 
the meaning, that you use among you this parable as a proverb in the 
land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the 
teeth of the children are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord God, 
this parable shall be no more to you a proverb in Israel. Behold all 
souls are mine : as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is 
mine: the soul that sinneth, the same shall die. And if a man be 
just, and do judgment and justice, and hath not eaten upon the moun- 
tains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel : and 
hath not defiled his neighbor's wife, nor come near to a menstruous 
woman : and hath not wronged any man : but hath restored the 
pledge to the debtor, hath taken nothing away by violence : hath 
given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a 
garment: hath not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase: hath 
withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and hath executed true judgment 
between man and man : hath walked'in m} T commandments, and kept 
my judgments, to do truth: he is just, he shall surely live, saith the 
Lord Almighty. 

Explanation. 

It was an old proverb, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, 
and the teeth of the children are set on edge. That is, the 
fathers have sinned, and the children are punished. It was 
grounded upon what Moses said (Exod. xxxiv. 7), Who ren- 
derest the iniquity of the fathers to the children, and to the 
grandchildren, unto the third and fourth generation. Those 
to whom the prophet spoke, had experienced the truth of this 
proverb. They were in bondage, as the punishment of their 
own sins, and of the abominations committed by their ances- 
tors, Achab, Manasses, and many others : not that they were 
punished altogether on account of the sins of Manasses, but 
also because they themselves imitated and persevered in the 
sins of Manasses. God, consoling his oppressed people in cap- 



188" INSTRUCTIONS ON 

tivity, commands the prophet to tell them that this proverb 
should be no more in Israel, but that every one should suffer 
the punishment of his own sins only, and at the deliverance 
from bondage the old sins should all be washed away. What 
the prophet here said was not to be understood in a literal sense; 
the promises should only be fulfilled under the new law in the 
kingdom of Christ. Thus baptism has put an end to that prov- 
erb, because in that sacrament we receive pardon of that old 
or original sin, which was the sour grapes, setting on edge the 
teeth of the children of Adam. God declares that all souls are 
his own, because, as purified in the blood of the God-man, he 
loves them, and none shall die except him who sins, and perse- 
veres willingly in sin. Certainly the way of parents will be 
punished in the children, but only in so far as they who are 
born with the concupiscence of their parents fail to resist it, 
although by the grace of God they might, and imitate, on the 
contrary, their parents' sins, by a course which depends alto- 
gether on their own will. Let us avoid evil and do good, and 
then we shall have nothing to fear from God. 

Gospel. (Matt. xv. 21-28.) 

At that time: Jesus went from thence, and retired into the coasts of 
Tyre and Sidon. And behold a woman of Canaan who came out of 
those coasts, crying out, said to him : Have mercy on me, O Lord, 
thou Son of David : my daughter is grievously troubled by a devil. 
Who answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought 
him, saying: Send her away, for she crieth after us: And he answer- 
ing, said : I was not sent but to the sheep that are lost of the house of 
Israel. But she came and adored him, saying: Lord, help me. Who 
answering, said : It is not good to take the bread of the children, and 
to cast it to the dogs. But she said : Yea, Lord, for the whelps also 
eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters. Then 
Jesus answering, said to her: O woman, great is thy faith: be it done 
to thee as thou wilt : and her daughter was cured from that hour. 

Why does the Church read this gospel ? 
Because fasting and prayer must be united. She therefore 
teaches us in this gospel how we must pray. 

Why did Jesus answer the w r oinan not a word ? 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 189 

Not out of contempt, but to afford her an opportunity to 
continue her entreaty, that by her faithful, devout, humble, and 
persevering- prayer she might become an example to the whole 
Church (St. Chrysostom). 

What did Christ mean when he said, It is not good to take 
the bread of the children and to cast it to the dogs f 

As the master of the house gives food to his children before 
he does to the dogs, so was Christ first to teach the children of 
Israel by his miracles. But after they had rejected their sal- 
vation, the Apostles were commanded to preach to the Gen- 
tiles, whom the Jews called dogs, because they were unclean 
and impure idolaters. Christ uses this expression to show the 
great humility of the woman. 

How must we understand the words of the woman, Yea, 
Lord, for the w helps cdso eat of the crumbs that fall from the 
table of their masters f 

As the children do not lose any thing, although the dogs are 
fed under the table, so the Jewish nation would not be de- 
prived of any benefit, although the daughter of the heathen 
woman were restored to health : her answer, therefore, was as 
prudent as it was modest, and proved the firmness of her faith. 

Meditation. 

Jesus is struck in his face by a servant of the high-priest. 
Overcome thy anger. Learn from Jesus. 

Prayer over the People. 

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, to thy Christian people to 
acknowledge what they profess, and to love the heavenly gifts 
which they frequent. Through Christ. 



190 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

iTribag. f\v5t tDeck in Cent. 

EMBER-DAY. 

Introit of the Mass. Deliver me from my necessities, O 
Lord ; see my abjection and my labor, and forgive me all my 
sins (Ps. xxiv.) 2b thee, Lord, have L lifted up my soid, 
in thee, my God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed. 
Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Be merciful, O Lord, to thy people, and as thou makest 
them devout to thee, mercifully refresh them with kind assist- 
ance. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Ezechiel xviii. 20-28.) 

Thus saith the Lord God: The soul that sinneth, the same shall die: 
the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not 
bear the iniquity of the son : the justice of the just shall be upon him, 
and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked 
do penance for all his sins, which he hath committed, and keep all my 
commandments, and do judgment and justice, living he shall live, and 
shall not die. I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done : 
in his justice which he hath wrought, he shall live. Is it my will that 
a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be 
converted from his ways, and live? But if the just man turn himself 
away from his justice, and do iniquity according to all the abomina- 
tions which the wicked man useth to work, shall he live? all his jus- 
tice which he hath done, shall not be remembered: in the prevarica- 
tion, by which he hath prevaricated, and in his sin, which he hath 
committed, in them he shall die. And you have said: The way of 
the Lord is not right. Hear ye, therefore, O house of Israel : Is it my 
way that is not right, and are not rather your ways perverse? For 
when the just turneth away from his justice, and committeth iniquity, 
he shall die therein: in the injustice that he hath wrought he shall 
die. And when the wicked turneth himself away from his wicked- 
ness, which he hath wrought, and doeth judgment, and justice: he 
shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth and turneth away 
himself from all his iniquities which he hath wrought, he shall surely 
live, and not die, saith the Lord Almighty. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 191 

Explanation. 

This epistle is the continuation of that of yesterday. The 
truth is repeated, that every one shall be punished for his 
own sins. God sometimes, in this world, permits the innocent 
to suffer with the guilty, and to become implicated with them in 
the same punishments, it being the will of God that this chas- 
tisement shall become to the innocent a fountain of many 
merits, of firmness in virtue, and of greater rewards in life 
everlasting. In this light, crosses and adversities are to be 
called benefits, rather than punishments. Those who have 
fallen should not despair, for they can rise again, and their fall 
will then be of no disadvantage to them. Those who stand 
should fear lest they fall : for if they fall and do not rise again, 
all their previous justice will avail them nothing towards eter- 
nal life. Both, therefore, should adore the ways of God, which 
are truth and mercy, and have confidence in him, who desires 
not the death of the wicked, and far less that of the just, but 
who is always ready to reward with eternal happiness, both 
the perseverance of the righteous and the penance of the 
sinner. 

Gospel. (John v. 1-15.) 

At that time there was a festival day of the Jews, and Jesus went 
up to Jerusalem. Xow there is at Jerusalem a pond, called Probatica, 
which in Hebrew is named Bethsaida, having five porches. In these 
lay a great multitude of sick, of blind, of lame, of withered, waiting 
for the moving of the water. And an angel of the Lord descended at 
certain times into the pond: and the water was moved. And he 
that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water, was 
made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under. And there was a 
certain man there, that had been eight-and-thirty years under his in- 
firmity. Him when Jesus had seen lying, and knew that he had been 
now a long time, he saith to him: Wilt thou be made whole? The 
infirm man answered him : Sir, I have no man, when the water is 
troubled, to put me into the pond. For whilst I am coming, another 
goeth down before me. Jesus saith to him : Arise, take up thy bed, 
and walk. And immediately the man was made whole: and he took 
up his bed and walked. And it was the Sabbath that day. The Jews 
therefore said to him that had been healed: It is the Sabbath, it is not 
lawful for thee to take up thy bed. He answered them : He that 



192 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

made me whole, he said tome: Take up thy bed, and walk. They 
asked him therefore : Who is that man that said to thee: Take up thy 
bed, and walk ? But he who was healed, knew not who it was. For 
Jesus went aside from the multitude standing in the place. After- 
wards Jesus tindeth him in the temple, and saith to him : Behold thou 
art made whole: sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee. 
The man went his way, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had 
made him whole. 

What did Jesus mean by the words, sin no more f 

He thereby gave the sick man to understand, that he who 
had cured him knew the cause of his sickness, namely, the law- 
less passions and sinful acts which God had punished with so 
long an illness. Accordingly, he warns him to sin no more, 
lest some worse thing should, happen to him. To be sick for 
thirty-eight years, and forsaken of every one, — how miserable 
is such a life ! Yet there is something worse. 

What is this something worse ? 

It consists in blindness of the heart which sees not the things 
above, nor what promotes the welfare of men ; in perversity 
and feebleness of the will, saying, "I will," and " I will not;" 
in the disorder of the soul, carried hither and thither, without 
love and peace ; in being deserted by God, and dying in im- 
penitence. 

What are we to learn hence ? 

All sinners should look upon their sins as diseases, and run 
to the fountain of healing which Christ has opened in his 
Church, and to the use of which we are at this season particu- 
larly exhorted. This is the fountain of penance, which possesses 
virtue for all, and not merely for him who goes down into it 
first ; which is moved, and heals, not merely at certain times, 
but all the time. Well for him who earnestly wishes to be 
healed, for he will surelv have his wish. 

Meditation. 
Jesus fearlessly confesses before Caiaphas that he is the Son 
of God, although he knows that for this very confession he 
shall suffer death. Do you in like manner speak without fear 
when the honor of God, and the extirpation of sin and scandal 
demand it ? or are you silent and timid ? 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 193 

Prayer of the Church over the People. 

Graciously hear us, O merciful God, and show to our minds 
the light of thy grace. Through Christ. 



Saturba^. -first tX)cek in Cent. 

EMBER-DAT. 

Introit of the Mass. Let my prayer come in before thee, in- 
cline thine ear to my petition, Lord (Ps. lxxxvii.) Lord 
the God of my salvation, I have cried in the day and in the 
night before thee. Glory be to the Father. 

Epistle. (1 Thess. v. 14-23.) 

Brethren, we beseech yon, rebuke the unquiet, comfort the feeble- 
minded, support the weak, be patient towards all men. See that none 
render evil for evil to any man : but ever follow that which is good 
towards each other, and towards all men. Always rejoice. Pray 
without ceasing. In all things give thanks : for this is the will of 
God in Christ Jesus concerning you all. Extinguish not the spirit. 
Despise not prophecies. But prove all things: hold fast that which 
is good. From all appearance of evil refrain yourselves. And may 
the God of peace himself sanctify you in all things: that your whole 
spirit, and soul, and body, may be preserved blameless in the coming 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Explanation. 
The Apostle warns us not to quench by sin, indiscretion, and 
a distracted life, the spirit that is in us, — that is, the grace, the 
inspiration, and the light of the Holy Ghost ; not to despise 
prophecies, — that is, the gifts of explaining the Scriptures, and 
of preaching the mysteries of the faith; but rather to examine 
whether they agree with the doctrine of Christ. Let us follow 
in every thing the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and the doc- 
trine of Holy Church, and then we shall never err, but may 
expect with confidence the coming of Christ to judgment. 

Gospel and Prayer, the same as for to-morrow. 
9 



191 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



Bcconh Siuibau in Cent; calleb Ectniniscere. 

The Church to-day encourages us to penance, by pointing to 
the eternal glory, of which Jesus revealed some rays on Mount 
Thabor. At the Introit she asks of God the grace to fall no 
more into sin. Remember, God, thy bowels of compassion, 
and thy mercies that are from the beginning of t/ie world, 
lest at any time our enemies rule over us / deliver us, God, 
from all our tribulations (Ps. xxii.) To thee, Lord, have I 
lifted up my soid. In thee, God, I put my trust, let me 
not be ashamed. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who beh oldest us destitute of every virtue, preserve 
us both inwardly and outwardly, that we may be defended from 
all adversities in body, and purified from all evil thoughts in 
mind, through our Lord. Amen. 

Epistle. (1 Thess. iv. 1-7.) 

Brethren : We pray and beseech you in the Lord Jesus, that as you 
have received of us, how you ought to walk, and to please God, so 
also you would walk, that you may abound the more. For you know 
what precepts I have given to you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the 
will of God, your sanctification : that you should abstain from forni- 
cation. That every one of you should know how to possess his ves- 
sel in sanctification and honor: not in the passion of lust, like the 
Gentiles that know not God: and that no man overreach nor circum- 
vent his brother in business; because the Lord is the avenger of all 
these things, as we have told you before, and have testified. For God 
hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification in Christ 
Jesus our Lord. 

Practice. 

As St. Paul exhorts theThessalonians, so does the Church all 
her children, to walk according to the instructions they have 
received even from their youth ; to crucify the lusts of the flesh ; 
to lay aside all impurity in desire, thought, word, and action ; 
all fraud in our vocation and business; not to pause, but con- 
tinually to aspire to higher perfection. Would that all might 






THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. l l J5 

well consider that such is the will of God, who has called us 
to holiness, and who will punish severely all impurity and in- 
justice. 

Aspiration. 

Grant, O Lord, that, according to my vocation, I may never, 
like the heathen, who know thee not, be addicted to earthly 
and fleshly lusts, but may live in modesty, chastity, and holi- 
ness, and adorn my name as a Christian with good works. 
Amen. 

Gospel. (Matt. xvii. 1-9.) 

At that time : Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John 
his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart. And 
he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun : 
and his garments became white as snow. And behold there appeared 
to them Moses and Elias talking with him. And Peter answering, 
said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us 
make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one 
for Elias. And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud over- 
shadowed them. And lo a voice out of the cloud, saying : This is my 
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased : hear ye him. And the 
disciples hearing, fell upon their face, and were very much afraid. 
And Jesus came and touched them; and said to them: Arise, and 
fear not. And they, lifting up their eyes, saw no one but only Jesus. 
And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, 
saying: Tell the vision to no man till the Son of man be risen from 
the dead. 

Why was Jesus transfigured before his disciples on Mount 
Thabor ? 

1. To give them a manifest proof of His Godhead and di- 
vine mission. 

2. To prevent all doubt on their part when they should af- 
terwards see him suffer on Mount Calvary. 

3. To encourage them and all the faithful to patience under 
all agonies and sufferings, by looking at the glory to be re- 
vealed. 

4. To show us how our glorified bodies shall rise from the 
dead (1. Cor. xv. 52). 

Why did Moses and Elias appear with our Lord ? 



196 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Because the Old Testament had predicted the coming and 
life of Christ. Moses, therefore, representing the Law, and 
Elias representing the Prophets, were present to give testi- 
mony that the law and the prophets had spoken of Jesus as 
the Saviour of the world. 

Of what did they speak with him ? 

Of his sufferings and decease, that he should accomplish at 
Jerusalem (St. Luke ix. 30, 31) ; by which he should work out 
the redemption of mankind, and fulfil the types of the law 
and of the prophecies. On this death, the fruits of which it is 
ours to harvest, we should often think that we may be moved 
to love Jesus as he loved us. 

Why did Peter propose to make three tabernacles ? 

He was so overjoyed that he knew not what he said, and 
recollected not that we can enter into the heavenly glory only 
through sufferings. If Peter was thus transported by one 
drop of heavenly joy, what, O my God, will be, in heaven, the 
abundance of thy house where thou shalt make thine elect drink 
of the torrent of thy pleasure ? (Ps. xxxv. 9.) 

Whence came the voice, this is my beloved Son ? 

From the Heavenly Father, who thereby declared Jesus to 
be his true Son, the Messiah, who should announce his doctrine 
to men. They should therefore hear, that is, obey him. 

Why did Jesus forbid his disciples to tell the vision to any 
man until the Son of man was risen from the dead ? 

1. Because the time for revealing his glory had not yet 
come. 

2. That the other disciples and all Christians might have a 
firmer faith in him, after his death and resurrection. 

3. To teach us that divine revelation does not rest on our 
private judgment, but on faith in the testimony of God's 
messengers. 

4. That we should conceal our good works until death ; for 
the wise man says : Praise not any man before death (Ecclus. 
xi. 30). 

Aspiration. 

Draw us to thee, O Jesus, by the contemplation of the joys 
of heaven, that we may steadihstly acknowledge thee to be 



THE EPISTLES AXD GOSPELS. 197 

the Son of God, faithfully follow thy doctrine, and subdue all 
sinful fondness for the world, that so we may become worthy 
to partake of the everlasting happiness of heaven. 

Instruction on keeping the Commandments of God and of 
the Church. 

"This is my beloved Son, hear ye him." — Matt. xvii. 15. 

It is not difficult to understand that the Christian is obliged 
to keep the commandments of God ; for every creature owes 
to God, the Creator, Preserver, and. Judge of all, j)erfect obe- 
dience, and every one who loves God is happy in serving him. 
But the Christian also owes obedience to the Church, her 
commandments, decisions, and regulations ; for she commands, 
decides, and regulates, not in her own name merely, but in 
that of Jesus, for the sanctification of the faithful. He is with 
her, and guides her all days, until the consummation of time. 
He has given her the power to bind and to loose. Whoever, 
therefore, obeys her, obeys Jesus ; whoever hears her, hears 
Jesus ; and whoever despises her, despises Jesus. 

Is it possible to fulhM all the commands of God and the 
Church ? 

Yes, notwithstanding men say it is impossible. For is not 
such language most imprudent, if not blasphemous? Has 
God, who is of infinite love, or has the Church, the tender 
mother of the faithful, imposed upon us more than we are at>Je 
to bear? Has not he promised us his assistance, with which 
we can easily overcome the world ? Has Christ told us an un- 
truth, in saying that his yoke was sweet and his burden light ? 
Do Ave not accuse God of injustice in saying that he asks from 
us more than he has given, and enjoins upon us what we are 
not able to perform ? Should we not thus make him the 
author of sin — a thought which we cannot cherish, far less ex- 
press without blasphemy ? 

Besides, are there not many who have kept all the com- 
mandments. Have not the patriarchs, prophets, and innu- 
merable other just persons under the old law, fulfilled the law 
of God? Could not even that young man, who became sad 
when Jesus spoke to him of a higher perfection — could not 



19S INSTRUCTIONS ON 

even he say, that from his youth he had kept the command- 
ments? And how many examples of perfect observance of 
the commandments of God and of the Church, does not the 
New Testament furnish, from among people of all professions, 
ages, and nations, under all possible conditions and circum- 
stances of life ! Could all these keep the law ? Then why 
not we ? Must w r e not confess, that when we have disobeyed 
the law, it has been because our will refused to co-operate with 
God's grace, and to avoid the occasions of sin ? It is our- 
selves, then, that we must blame, and not the commandments. 
Let us therefore say, " I will, with the grace of God, and as 
surely as God lives, and as his promises are true, I can do 
whatever he, or the Church, in his name, commands." 

Meditation. 

Jesus suffers, during the night, mockery and great pain ; 
and thou wilt not suffer any thing from thy neighbor, and art 
angry at any contradiction thou meetest. 



JHonbat). Second fcOedi in Cent. 

Introit of the Mass. Redeem me, Lord, and have mercy 
on me, for my foot hath stood in the direct way. In the 
churches I will bless the Lord (Ps. xxv.) Judge me, Lord, 
for I have walked in my innocence, and hoping in the Lord, 
I shall not be weakened. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that thy family, 
who, afflicting their flesh, abstain from food, by following 
justice may fast from sin. Through our Lord. Amen. 

Epistle. (Daniel ix. 15-19.) 

In those days, Daniel prayed unto the Lord, saying : O Lord 
our God, who hast brought forth thy people out of the land of 
Egypt with a strong hand, and hast made thee a name as at this 
day: we have sinned, we have committed iniquity, Lord, against 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 199 

all thy justice: let thy wrath and thy indignation be turned away, 
I beseech thee, from thy city Jerusalem, and from thy holy moun- 
tain. For by reason of our sins, and the iniquities of our fathers. 
Jerusalem, and thy people are a reproach to all that are round 
about us. Now, therefore, our God, hear the supplication of thy 
servant, and his prayers : and show thy face upon thy sanctuary 
which is desolate, for thy own sake. Incline, O my God, thy ear, 
and hear : open thy eyes, and see our desolation, and the city upon 
which thy name is called : for it is not for our justifications that we 
present our prayers before thy face, but for the multitude of thy ten- 
der mercies. O Lord, hear: Lord, be appeased : hearken and do : 
delay not for thy own sake, O my God : because thy name is invoca- 
ted upon thy city, and upon thy people. 

Explanation. 
Daniel prays God to look in mercy upon his city, his temple, 
and his people ; he presents his prayers, not on account of their 
righteousness, but on account of God's tender mercy, and that 
his name may be glorified by hearing the supplications addressed 
to him. It is in the same manner that we must offer our prayers 
to God ; asking of him that for his name's sake the enemies of 
his Church may be humbled and converted, and that she may 
flourish more and more. 

Gospel. (John viii. 21-29.) 

At that time Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews : I go, and 
you shall seek me, and you shall die in your sin. Whither I go, you 
cannot come. The Jews therefore said : Will he kill himself, because 
he said: Whither I go, you cannot come? And he said to them: 
You are from beneath, I am from above. You are of this world, I am 
not of this world. Therefore I said to you, that you shall die in your 
sins. For if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sin. 
They said therefore to him : Who art thou ? Jesus said to them : The 
beginning, who also speak unto you. Many things I have to speak 
and to judge of you. But he that sent me is true : and the things I 
have heard of him, these same I speak in the world. And they under- 
stood not that he called God his father. Jesus therefore said to them : 
When you shall have lifted up the Son of man, then shall you know 
that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself, but as the Father hath 
taught me, these things I speak : and he that sent me is with me, and 
he hath not left me alone : for I do always the things that please him. 



200 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Why does the Church read this gospel to-day ? 

To warn us against the horrible fate that attends unbelief 
and despair. Jesus said plainly to the Jews that he was the 
beginning, — that is, he by whom all things were made : that 
God was his Father, that he taught his Father's doctrine, and 
did what was pleasing in his sight. But the Jews believed not, 
and Jesus returned to his Father in Heaven, and sits on his 
right hand. The Jews, meanwhile, yet seek and expect their 
Messias, even until this day ; but they cannot call him down 
from heaven ; they have no part in his kingdom, and from one 
century to another they die in their sins. Thus it will be with 
every nation which knows not the time of its visitation, and 
despises the Gospel. The same will happen to thee, also, my 
Christian brother, if thou dost not devote the years of thy 
youth and manhood to penance, and conversion from sin. 
Sin will become stronger in you, the passions more violent, and 
contrary to your expectations and wishes, you will be over- 
come by sin, and die without repentance, while the angel of 
vengeance shall pronounce over you a threefold woe ! 

What are we to learn then from this gospel ? 

That we must believe in Jesus, and do whatever he and his 
Church commands — in a word, what is acceptable to God. 
This is in all ages the strongest foundation of pious confidence, 
for it is not so much by consolation from without, by exhorta- 
tions and promises, but by a good conscience within, that the 
soul is prompted and encouraged to serve God. 

Meditation. 

Jesus is in council, condemned to death. Have you never 
taken any part with the wicked in the condemnation of the 
innocent ? 

Prayer over the People. 

Attend to our supplications, O Almighty God, and graciously 
grant the effect of thy wonted mercy to us, to whom thou 
grantest confidence to hope for forgiveness. Through our 
Lord. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 201 



ftaesbag. Scconb t&eck in £ent. 

Introit of the Mass. My heart hath said to thee, I have 
sought thy face ; thy face, Lord, will I seek : turn not 
mcay thy face from me (Ps. xxvi.) The Lord is my light and 
my salvation, whom shall I fear f Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Perfect, we beseech thee, O Lord, in thy mercy, the help of 
this holy observance within us, that, what by thy instructions 
we know we are to do, by thy grace we may be enabled to ac- 
complish. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (3 Kings xvii. 8-16.) 

In those days the word of the Lord came to Elias, the Thesbite, say- 
ing : Arise, and go to Sarephta of the Sidonians, and dwell there : for 
I have commanded a widow woman there to feed thee. He arose and 
went to Sarephta. And when he was come to the gate of the city, he 
saw the widow woman gathering sticks, and he called her, and said 
to her : Give me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And 
when she was going to fetch it, he called after her, saying : Bring me 
also, I beseech thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand. And she answer- 
ed : As the Lord thy God liveth, I have no bread, but only a handful 
of meal in a pot, and a little oil in a cruse : behold I am gathering two 
sticks that I may go in and dress it, for me and my son, that we may 
eat it and die. And Elias said to her: Fear not, but go and do as 
thou hast said : but first make for me of the same meal a little hearth- 
cake, and bring it to me: and after make for thyself and thy son. 
For thus saith the Lord the God of Israel : The pot of meal shall not 
waste, nor the cruse of oil be diminished, until the day wherein the 
Lord will give rain upon the face of the earth. She went and did ac- 
cording to the word of Elias : and he ate, and she and her house : and 
from that day the pot of meal wasted not, and the cruse of oil was 
not diminished, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke in 
the hand of Elias. 

JExfjlanation. 

In this epistle the Church proposes to us the example of the 

poor widow of Sarephta, who divided her last morsel of bread 

go 



202 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

with the prophet Elias, the servant of God ; teaching us there- 
by how acceptable to God it is to be merciful to the poor. 
Thus we see the just very often allowed to fall into need, for 
the salvation of those who help them. The poor widow of 
Sarephta will, on the day of judgment, confound many Chris- 
tians. She helps one whom she does not know, while she is 
herself in need of the assistance asked from her : but she gives 
her own food, and by so doing saves her lite. What a heroic 
confidence I To build churches from affluence, is less than to 
give to another the last morsel of bread which you were keep- 
ing for yourself. We may learn also from this example to give 
to the house of God, and to his ministers, and we shall never 
be in want of what we give. 

Gospel. (Matt, xxiii. 1-12.) 

At that time Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, say- 
ing: The Scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses. 
All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do : 
but according to their works do ye not : for they say, and do not. 
For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens, and lay them on 
men's shoulders: but with a finger of their own they will not move 
them. And all their works they do to be seen of men. For they 
make their phylacteries broad, and enlarge their fringes. And they 
,love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues, 
and salutations in the market-plaee, and to be called by men, Eabbi. 
But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master, and all you 
are brethren. And call none your father upon earth: for one is your 
father who is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters : for one is 
your master, Christ. He that is the greatest among you shall be your 
servant. And- whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled : and 
he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. 

What important truths does Jesus Christ teach in this gos- 
pel ? 

That the law of God fastens its obligations on us, although 
made known to us by those who do not observe it themselves. 
The priest and teacher sit in the chair of Jesus Christ; they 
teach in his name, and they teach his gospel. If they shall be 
judged for not practising what they teach, so also shall you, if 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 203 

you follow them, or if, on account of their lives, you refuse to 
believe in his truth and his Church. 

Against what sins does Christ here warn us ? 

Against hypocrisy and ambition. The phylacteries here 
spoken of were strips of parchment, on which were written 
passages from the law of Moses. They were worn on the left 
arm and on the forehead. The fringes were worn on the seams 
of the dress : they were to serve as a mark of distinction from 
the Gentiles, and to put the wearer in mind of the command- 
ments of God (Exod. xv. 38). 

The Pharisees made their phylacteries and fringes larger 
than others, to give themselves the appearance of having un- 
common zeal in fulfilling the law of God. 

What does Jesus enjoin upon us to avoid the pride and am- 
bition of the Pharisees ? 

To be unassuming, modest, and humble ; for there truly is 
the kingdom of God, where the most powerful, the richest, the 
most respected, the most intelligent, the greatest man, is also 
first in humility. We all have one father, one teacher, but we 
act against the honor and glory of God, if we undertake to 
instruct, admonish, or guide our brother, in the name of any 
other than our Lord and Master. 

What is the meaning of the words, he that hwnbleth him- 
self shall be exalted f 

The dust rises to fall again. Again it arises when trampled 
on ; that is, honor flees from him that seeks it, and seeks him 
that flees from it (Prov. xxix. 23-25). Not he that is humbled, 
but he that humbles himself, shall be exalted before God and 
man, that he may the more successfully work for the glory of 
God, and the salvation of men. Real greatness, therefore, can 
exist only where there is humility making us pure and holy. 

Meditation. 

Jesus gives no answer to the false accusations before Pilate. 
And art thou angry and irritated at having the truth told to 
thy face ? 



204 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



Prayer over the People. 

Be propitious, O Lord, to our prayers, and heal the desires 
of our souls, that having received forgiveness, we may even 
rejoice in thy benediction. Through Christ. 



toebnesbaji. Seconb tOeek in Cent. 

Introit of the Mass. Forsake me not, Lord my God, do 
not thou depart from me ; attend unto my help, Lord, the 
power of my salvation (Ps. xxxvii.) Rebuke me not, Lord, 
in thy indignation, nor chastise me in thy wrath. Glory be 
to the Father. 

Prayer of the Church. 

Mercifully regard thy people, O Lord, we beseech thee, and 
grant that we, whom thou commandest to abstain from carnal 
food, may also cease from hurtful vices. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Esther xiii. 9-17.) 

In those days, Hardochai prayed to the Lord, saying: O Lord, 
Lord, almighty king, for all things are in thy power, and there is none 
that can resist thy will, if thou determine to save Israel. Thou hast 
made heaven and earth, and all things that are under the cope of 
heaven. Thou art Lord of all, and there is none that can resist thy 
majesty. Thou knowest all things, and thou knowest that it was not 
out of pride and contempt, or any desire of glory, that I refused to 
worship the proud Aman. (For I would willingly and readily for 
the salvation of Israel have kissed even the steps of his feet.) But I 
feared lest I should transfer the honor of my God to a man, and lest 
I should adore any one except my God. And now, O Lord, O king, 
O God of Abraham, have mercy on thy people, because our enemies 
resolve to destroy us, and extinguish thy inheritance. Despise not 
thy portion, which thou hast redeemed for thyself out of Egypt. 
Hear my supplication, and be merciful to thy lot and inheritance, 
and turn our mourning into joy, that wc may live and praise thy 
name, O Lord, and shut not the mouths of them that sing to thee, 
U Lord, our God. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 205 

Explanation. 

The Persian king, Artaxerxes, exalted Aman to the highest 
dignities, and issued a decree that all the Jews should bow the 
knee before him. This Mordechai refused to do, and thereupon 
Aman prevailed upon the king to publish an edict that all the 
Jews in the Persian dominions, should be put to death on a 
certain month and day. Mordechai prayed to God, and so did 
Esther, for the deliverance of their people. Their prayers were 
heard, and their nation saved. Aman and his friends were 
hanged on the very gibbets intended for Mordechai and his 
people. Thus Aman verifies the proverbs, " He who digs a 
grave for others, falls into it himself," and " Pride goes before 
a fall." From Mordechai, we learn to have recourse to God in 
our need, and to confide in the Lord, for he will hear our 
prayers and save us from danger. 

The reading of this epistle is particularly proper for those 
seasons in wmich the Church, in the spirit of penance, prays to 
God for mercy and forgiveness to all, who, on account of their 
sins, are deserving of death. 

Gospel. (Matt. xx. 17-28.) 

At that time, Jesus going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples 
apart, and said to them : Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son 
of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes, and they 
shall condemn him to death. And they shall deliver him to the Gen- 
tiles to be mocked, and scourged, and crucified, and the third day he 
shall rise again. Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebe- 
dee with her sons, adoring and asking something of him. Who said 
to her: What wilt thou? She saith to him: Say that these my two 
sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in 
thy kingdom. But Jesus answering, said : You know not what you 
ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? They say to 
him : We can. He saith to them : My chalice indeed you shall drink : 
but to sit on my right or left hand, is not mine to give to you, but to 
them for whom it is prepared by my Father. And the ten hearing 
it, were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus 
called them to him, and said: You know that the princes of the Gen- 
tiles lord it over them : and they that are the greater, exercise power 



206 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

upon them. It shall not be so among yon, bnt whosoever will be the 
greater among you, let him be your minister. And he that will be 
first among you, shall be your servant. Even as the Son of man is 
not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a 
redemption for many. 



What was the effect of the request made by the mother of 
the sons of Zebedee ? 

It provoked the jealousy and indignation of the other ten 
against the two brothers ; for they all had the same ambition. 
Jesus therefore declared that there was no other way of rising 
to the first place in his kingdom, than by seeking the last, and 
that he who would be greatest among them should be their 
servant ; that is, should be the most humble, the most pa- 
tient, the most zealous. It is in accordance with these words 
that the representative of Christ on earth- — the head of the 
visible Church — calls himself the servant of the servants of 
God. 

Would that all, who are superiors over their brethren, con- 
sidered well these words of Christ, that they might rule, not 
according to their unrestrained will, but according to law r — 
treating their subjects with humility and meekness ; using 
their power for the service and advantage of others, and con- 
sidering themselves to be in their office, not masters, but ser- 
vants. 

Is it enough that the first in the kingdom of God should be 
the servant of others ? 

It is not enough. He must also be ready to sacrifice, for 
the glory of God and the salvation of men, all he possesses, 
and even his life. Therefore it is that Christ adds, " Follow 
me ; I am not come to be administered unto, but to minister; 
and as the greatest among you, to make the greatest sacrifice, 
by giving my life as a ransom for many." 

O Life, what will not man give to buy thee ! having lost all 
else, how happy is he in having saved thee ! What love is it, 
therefore, that the Lord is come to redeem us at the price of 
his life ! What frivolity and sacrilege, if we allow this great 
sacrifice for us to be in vain ! 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. '207 

Meditation. 

Jesus is mocked before Herod. What consolation for thee 
when thou art mocked. 

Prayer over the People. 
O God, the restorer and lover of innocence, direct to thyself 
the hearts of thy servants, that, having conceived the fervor of 
thy spirit, they may be found both steadfast in faith and effica- 
cious in works. Through Christ, in the unity of the same Holy 
Ghost. 



ftljursbaj). Bttonb toeek in Cent. 

Introit of the Mass. God, come to my assistance. O 
Lord, make haste to help me / let my enemies be confounded 
and ashamed, that seek my soul (Ps. lxix.) Pet them be turned 
back and blush for shame, that desire evil to me. Glory be 
to the Father. 

Epistle. (Jer. xvii. 5-10.) 

Thus saith the Lord God : Cursed be the man that trnsteth in man, 
and raaketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. 
For he shall be like tamaric in the desert, and he shall not see when 
good shall come : but he shall dwell in dryness in the desert in a salt 
land, and not inhabited. Blessed be the man that trusteth in the 
Lord, and the Lord shall be his confidence. And he shall be as a tree 
that is planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots towards 
moisture: and it shall not fear when the heat cometh. And the leaf 
thereof shall be green, and in the time of drought it shall not be so- 
licitous, neither shall it cease at any time to bring forth fruit. The 
heart is perverse above all things, and unsearchable, who can know 
it? I am the Lord who search the heart and prove the reins : who 
give to every one according to his way, and according to the fruit of 
his devices, saith the Lord Almighty. 

PJxplanation. 
There is a threefold curse of God upon him who puts his 
trust in man, and not in God. 1. God, his angels and saints, 
forsake him. 2. He is deprived of divine assistance and grace. 



208 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

3. The merits of all his good works are taken away from him, 
so that he can no longer practice virtue. 

Put not your confidence, therefore, in fickle and miserable 
man, but in God, the Almighty and eternal, and you will re- 
ceive help in time of need. 

Gospel. (Luke xvi. 19-31.) 

At that time Jesus said to the Pharisees: There was a certain rich 
man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen : and feasted sumptu- 
ously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, 
who lay at his gate, full of sores, desiring to be filled with the crumbs 
that fell from the rich man's table, and no one did give him : more- 
over the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass that 
the beggar died, and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bo- 
som. And the rich man also died : and he was buried in hell. And 
lifting up his eyes when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar 
off, and Lazarus in his bosom : and he cried, and said : Father Abra- 
ham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of 
his finger in water, to cool my tongue, for I am tormented in ibis 
flame. And Abraham said to him : Son, remember that thou didst 
receive good things in thy life-time, and likewise Lazarus evil things : 
but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And besides all 
this, between us and you there is fixed a great chaos : so that they 
who would pass from hence to you, cannot, nor from thence come 
hither. And he said : Then, father, I beseech thee that thou wouldst 
send him to my father's house ; for I have five brethren ; that he may 
testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torments. 
And Abraham said to him : They have Moses and the prophets ; let 
them hear them. But he said : No, father Abraham, but if one went 
to them from the dead, they will do penance. And lie said to him : 
If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe if 
one rise again from the dead. 

Why was the rich man buried in hell ? 

Because, while he feasted sumptuously, clothed in purple, 
and fared well, he had, on the other hand, no mercy for the 
poor, and no remembrance of God. 

What tormented him there ? 

His own sufferings, the sight of Lazarus' happiness, his fruit- 
less desire for even the least relief, the remembrance of his life 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 209 

on earth, remorse of conscience, the consciousness that he was 
justly damned, and finally, the certainty of his remaining hope- 
less in that place forever. 

Why was not Lazarus sent to warn the brothers of the rich 
man ? 

Because they who do not hear Moses and the prophets, 
Christ and his apostles, are incorrigible. The sinner, sur- 
rounded by the pleasures of this world, forgets to consider that 
all things will pass away, and consequently the most inviting 
promises, the most terrible threats, make no impression on him. 

Are you one of the brothers of the rich man ? Know, then, 
that the approach of Easter calls you to sorrow and penance. 
Arise, therefore, from the slumber of sin, and be converted. 

Meditation. 

Barabbas is preferred to Jesus. You are shocked at it, but 
are not you doing the same thing as often as you follow your 
own inclination rather than the will of God? 

Prayer over the People. 

Attend, O Lord, to thy servants, and grant continual favors 
to those who beseech thee, that thou mayest gather and restore 
what they have lost, and preserve what thou hast restored to 
those who glory in thee their Creator and Ruler. Through 
Christ. 



iFriban. Seconb fcOeek in Cent. 

Introit of the Mass. But I will appear before thy sight in 
"ustice ; I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall be made man- 
ifest (Ps. xvi.) Hear, Lord, my justice, attend to my sup- 
plications. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that, purified by the 
holy fast, we may arrive by thy grace with sincere minds at 
the festival to come. Through our Lord. 



210 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Epistle. (Gen. xxxvii. 6-22.) 

In those days, Joseph said to his brethren : Hear my dream which 
I dreamed. I thought we were binding sheaves in the field : and my 
sheaf arose as it were and stood, and your sheaves standing about, 
bowed down before my sheaf. His brethren answered : Shalt thou 
be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion ? Therefore this 
matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy 
and hatred. He dreamed also another dream, which he told his breth- 
ren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and 
eleven stars worshipping me. And when he had told this to hia 
father, and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said : What mean- 
eth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and 
thy brethren worship thee upon the earth ? His brethren therefore 
envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself. And 
when his brethren abode in Sichem, feeding their father's flocks, Israel 
said to him : Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem : come, I will 
send thee to them. And when he answered : I am ready; he said to 
him : Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cat- 
tle : and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the 
vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem : and a man found him there wan- 
dering in the field, and asked what he sought. But he answered : I 
seek my brethren, tell me where they feed the flocks. And the man 
said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them 
say : Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his 
brethren, and found them in Dothain. And when they saw him afar 
off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him. And said 
one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh. Come, let us kill him, 
and cast him into some old pit, and we will say : Some evil beast hath 
devoured him : and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him : 
and Ruben hearing this, endeavored to deliver him out of their hands, 
and said : Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood : but cast hi in 
into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: 
now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands, and 
restore him to his father. 



The sons of Jacob try to prevent their brother Joseph from 
ruling over them ; but what they do with this purpose, serves 
only to exalt Joseph to a throne in Egypt. The cruelties in- 
flicted upon Joseph by his brothers are a striking figure of 
those suffered by our Saviour ; as Joseph's elevation is of 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 211 

Christ's triumph and glory. Thus are verified those words of 
the Proverb (Prov. xxi. 30) : TJiere is no wisdom, there is no 
prudence, there is no counsel against the Lord. The envy of 
Joseph's brethren made them resolve even to murder him. 
Such are the consequences, if we do not resist sin at its very 
outset. Parents can never be too prudent in correcting even 
the smallest faults of their children ; for envy among brethren 
has brought great destruction to families. Ruben's example 
teaches us to prevent evil whenever and wherever we can. 

Gospel. (Matt. xxi. 33-46.) 

At that time Jesus spoke this parable to the multitude of the 
Jews, and the chief priests : There was a man a householder who 
planted a vineyard, and made a hedge round about it, and dug in 
it a wine-press, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen : 
and went into a strange country. And when the time of the 
fruits drew nigh, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that 
they might receive the fruits thereof. And the husbandmen laying 
hands on his servants, beat one, and killed another, and stoned an- 
other. Again he sent other servants more than the former : and they 
did to them in like manner. And last of all he sent to them his son, 
saving: They will reverence my son. But the husbandmen seeing 
the son, said among themselves: This is the heir, come, let us kill 
him, and we shall have his inheritance. And taking him they cast 
him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him. When, therefore, the 
lord of the vineyard shall come, wdiat will he do to those husband- 
men ? They say to him : He will bring those evil men to an evil end : 
and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, that shall render 
him the fruit in due season. Jesus saith to them: Have you never 
read in the Scriptures : " The stone which the builders rejected, the 
same is become the head of the corner? By the Lord this hath been 
done, and it is wonderful in our eyes." Therefore I say to you, that 
the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a 
nation yielding the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this 
stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind 
him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard 
his parables, they knew that he spoke of them, xind seeking to lay 
hands on him, they feared the multitudes : because they held him as 
a prophet. 

What is the meaning of this parable ? 



212 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

The householder is God, the vineyard the kingdom of God 
as it was manifested among the Jews ; the hedge is the protec- 
tion of Divine Providence, and the guardianship of the holy 
angels ; the press is the law of God, requiring from every one 
the fruits of virtue and piety ; the tower is the protection of 
temporal superiors ; the husbandmen are spiritual superiors, 
kings, princes, priests, rulers, and judges ; the going into a 
strange country represents separation from God ; the fruits 
are the ever necessary works of mercy ; the servants are the 
prophets sent by God from time to time to incite the Jews to 
virtue, and to dissuade them from sin : of these, one they beat, 
as Jeremias ; another they killed, as Isaias ; another they 
stoned, as Zachary. The son and heir is Jesus Christ, whom 
the husbandmen cast forth out of his vineyard, out of Jerusa- 
lem, and crucified him. But God exalted him, through his 
death and resurrection, to be the first of the elect, the corner- 
stone upon which the whole structure of the house of God rests, 
and in which are united all men, from our first parents to 
Jesus Christ, and from him to the last righteous man on 
earth. 

What punishment did those wicked husbandmen receive ? 

The vineyard was taken away from them, and given to the 
Gentiles, who, after being received into the Church, yielded 
the fruits of salvation, and will yield them till the end of time. 
The Holy City was destroyed, and with it the temple, and the 
people dispersed, homeless, into all parts of the world. Thus 
Christianity left those countries in which the people, in heart 
and life, turned away from Jesus. 

How shall we apply this gospel to ourselves ? 

As the vineyard is let out to us, that is, as we have received 
the Gospel, we must ask ourselves whether we have given in 
the required "fruits more punctually than the Jews. As the 
prophets admonished the Jewish people, so the Church, by her 
doctrine, the Holy Ghost by his divine inspirations, and con- 
science by its directions and reproofs, all admonish us to ren- 
der to the Lord of the vineyard the due returns. 

Those fall upon Christ, says St. Augustine, who despise and 
and offend him ; but Christ falls upon them, whom in his 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 213 

judgment he rejects, and who are scattered like dust before 
the wind. 

Meditation. 

Jesus is declared by Pilate to be innocent ; but the Jews 
condemn him to death. So far does the rage of passion carry 
us! 

Prayer over the People. 

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, to thy people, health of 
mind and of body, that by laboring in good works, they may 
deserve to be forever defended by the protection of thy power. 
Through Christ. Amen. 



Saturban. Seconb ittedi in Cent. 

Introit of the Mass. The law of the Lord is unspotted, con- 
verting souls / the testimony of the Lord is faithful, giving 
wisdom to little ones (Ps. xviii.) The heavens show forth the 
glory of God, and the firmament declareth the works of his 
hand. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer of the Church. 
Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, a salutary effect to our 
fasts, that the chastisement of the flesh which we have taken 
upon us, may promote the vigor of the soul. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Gen. xxvii. 6-40.) 

In those days Rebecca said to her son Jacob : I heard thy father 
talking with Esau thy brother, and saying to him : Bring me of thy 
hunting, and make the^ meats that I may eat, and bless thee in the 
sight of the Lord, before I die. Now, therefore, my son, follow my 
counsel : And go thy way to the flock, bring me two kids of the best, 
that I may make of them meat for thy father, such as he gladly 
eateth : Which when thou hast brought in, and he hath eaten, he 
may bless thee before he die. And he answered her: Thou knowest 
that Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am smooth. If my father 
shall feel me, and perceive it, I fear least he will think I would have 



214 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

mocked him, and I shall bring upon me a curse instead of a blessing. 
And his mother said to him: Upon me be this curse, my son: only 
hear thou my voice, and go, fetch me the things which I have said. 
He went, and brought, and gave them to his mother. She dressed 
meats, such as she knew his father liked. And she put on him very 
good garments of Esau, which she had at home with her : and the 
little skins of the kids she put about his hands, and covered the bare 
of his neck. And she gave him the savory meat, and delivered him 
bread that she had baked. Which when he had carried in, he said : 
My father? But he answered : I hear. Who art thou, my son? And 
Jacob said ; I am Esau thy first-born : I have done as thou didst 
command me : Arise, sit, and eat of my venison, that thy soul may 
bless me. And Isaac said to his son : How couldst thou find it so 
quickly, ray son ? He answered : It was the will of God that what 
I sought came quickly in my way. And Isaac said : Come hither, 
that I may feel thee, my son, and may prove whether thou be my son 
Esau, or not. He came near to his father, and when he had felt him, 
Isaac said : The voice indeed is the voice of Jacob : but the hands, 
are the hands of Esau. And he knew him not, because his hairy 
hands made him like to the elder. Then blessing him, he said : Art 
thou my son Esau ? He answered : I am. Then he said : Bring me 
the meats of thy hunting, my son, that my soul may bless thee. And 
when they were brought, and he had eaten, he offered him wine also, 
which after he had drunk, he said to him: Come near me, and give 
me a kiss, my son. He came near, and kissed him. And immedi- 
ately as he smelled the fragrant smell of his garments, blessing him, 
he said : Behold the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field, 
which the Lord hath blessed. God give thee of the dew of heaven, 
and of the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn and wine. And 
let peoples serve thee, and tribes worship thee : be thou lord of thy 
brethren, and let thy mother's children bow down before thee. Cur- 
sed be he that curseth thee : and let him that blesseth thee be filled 
with blessings. Isaac had scarce ended his words, when Jacob being 
now gone out abroad, Esau came, and brought in to his father meats 
made of what he had taken in hunting, saying : Arise, my father, and 
eat of thy son's venison ; that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac 
said to him: Why! who art thou? He answered: I am thy first- 
born son Esau. Isaac was struck with fear, and astonished exceed- 
ingly : and wondering beyond what can be believed, said : Who is he 
then that even now brought me venison that he had taken, and I ate 
of all before thou earnest? and I have blessed him, and he shall be 
blessed. Esau having heard his father's words, roared out with a 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 215 

great cry: and being in a consternation, said: Bless me also, my 
father. And he said : Thy brother came deceitfully and got thy bless- 
ing- But he said again: Rightly is his name called Jacob; for he 
hath supplanted me lo this second time: my first birth-right he took 
away before, and now this second time he hath stolen away my bless- 
ing. And again he said to his father: Hast thou not reserved me 
also a blessing? Isaac answered: I have appointed him thy lord, 
and have made all his brethren his servants: I have established him 
with corn and wine, and after this, what shall I do more for thee, 
my son? And Esau said to him : hast thou only one blessing, lather? 
I beseech thee bless me also. And when he wept with a loud cry, 
Isaac being moved, said to him: In the fat of the earth, and in the 
dew of heaven from above, shall thy blessing be. 

Explanation. 

We see from this history that men try in vain to frustrate 
the decrees of God, announced by the prophets. It was in vain 
that Isaac endeavored to give to Esau, whom he loved, for the 
meats prepared by him, that blessing which was promised to 
Jacob, even before he was born. Isaac must be sick and blind, 
and be deceived in his blindness, that the divine prophecy might 
be fulfilled. We see further, that God does not leave unpun- 
ished the sins of the best and most pious men. How much 
anguish and sorrow befell Rebecca, for the deception to which 
she persuaded Jacob ! How many sufferings came upon Jacob 
because he followed the sinful counsel of his mother in deceiv- 
ing his father, for which Esau tried to kill him: Yet they 
would not have suffered at all, had they only left the manner 
in which the promise to Jacob was to be fulfilled, to Divine 
Providence. Let us not, like Esau, sacrifice our prerogatives 
for a short sensual pleasure. 

Gospel (Luke xv. 11-32.) 

In that time Jesus spoke this parable to the Scribes and Phari- 
sees: A certain man had two sons; and the younger of them said to 
his father : Father, give me the portion of substance that falleth to 
me. And he divided unto them his substance. And not many days 
after, the younger son gathering all together, went abroad into a far 
country, and there w T asted his substance, living riotously. And after 



216 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that country, and lie 
began to be in want. And he went and cleaved to one of the citizens 
of that country. And he sent him into his farm to feed swine. And 
he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat; 
and no man gave unto him. And returning to himself, he said: How 
many hired servants in my father's house abound with bread, and I 
here perish with hunger ? I will arise, and will go to my father, and say 
to him : Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee: I am 
not now worthy to be called thy son : make me as one of thy hired serv- 
ants. And rising up he came to his father. And when he was yet a 
great way off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, 
and running to him fell upon his neck and kissed him. And the son 
said to him : Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, I am 
not now worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his 
servants: Bring forth quickly the first robe, and put it on him, and 
put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the 
fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and make merry : Because this 
my son was dead, and is come to life again : was lost, and is found. 
And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field, and 
when he came out and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and 
dancing: and he called one of the servants, and asked what these 
tilings meant. And he said to him: Thy brother is come, and thy 
father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe. 
And he was angry, and would not go in. His father therefore com- 
ing out began to entreat him. And he answering, said to his father: 
Behold, for so many years do I serve thee, and I have never trans- 
gressed thy commandment, and yet thou hast never given me a kid 
to make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son is come, 
who hath devoured his substance with harlots, thou hast killed for 
him the fatted calf. But he said to him : Son, thou art always with 
me, and all I have is thine. But it was fit that we should make merry 
and be glad, for this thy brother was dead, and is come to life again : 
he was lost, and is found. 

Explanation. 

The elder son in this parable, like Esau in the epistle, repre- 
sents the Israelites ; the prodigal son, the sinful, but repentant 
Gentiles. Our Saviour hereby showed the calling and recep- 
tion of the Gentiles into his kingdom, which the Jews would 
not enter. The parable also represents the misery of the 
sinner, the penance which he has to perform to be restored 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 217 

again, the unwearied desire of God for the salvation of the 
sinner, and his joy at the sinner's return. Thus the father puts 
on him the robe of innocence and grace, a ring on his hand, 
the seal of the Holy Ghost, and shoes on his feet, to show that 
(as slaves were always barefooted) he is no longer to be a 
slave of sin, but a child of God, walking in the path of justice 
and faithfully carrying out his holy resolutions. He gives him 
also the fatted calf, and a joyous feast, to represent that God 
will nourish him with holy communion of the body and blood 
of Jesus Christ, while the music denotes the heavenly consola- 
tions with which God will comfort him 

Meditation. 

Jesus is scourged. Such are the pains which the Saviour 
must endure for the forbidden lusts of the world, and dost 
thou now wish to indulge in them ? 

Prayer over the People. 

Preserve, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy family, by continued 
mercy, that relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace, it 
may be also defended by thy protection. Through our Lord. 



(Iljirb 0nnba£ in Cent, calkb " ODntli. 11 

This Sunday derives its name from the first word of the In- 
ti-oit, which is " Oculi." The Introit itself contains the prayer 
of a soul anxious to be freed from the snares of sin. My eyes 
are ever towards the Lord / for he shall pluck my feet out of 
the snare. Look thou upon me and have mercy upon me, for 
I am alone and poor. To thee, Lord, have lifted up my 
soul ; in thee, God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed 
(Ps. xxiv. 12, 15, 16). Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

We beseech thee, Almighty God, regard the prayers of thy 
humble servants, and stretch forth in our defence, the right 
hand of thy majesty. Through Christ. 
10 



218 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Epistle. (Ephesians v. 1-9.) 

Brethren: Be ye therefore followers of God, as most dear children. 
And walk in love as Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered him- 
self for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odor of sweetness. 
But fornication and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not so 
much as be named among you, as becometh saints: or obscenity, or 
foolish talking, or scurrility, which is to no purpose: but rather 
giving of thanks. For know ye this and understand that no forni- 
cator, nor unclean, nor covetous person (which is a serving of idols), 
hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man 
deceive you with vain words. For because of these things cometh 
the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. Be ye not therefore 
partakers with them. For you were heretofore darkness, but now 
light in the Lord. Walk ye as children of the light: for the fruit of 
the light is in all goodness, and justice, and truth. 

Explanation. 

It is here declared to be the duty of every Christian, not 
only to walk in love, but also to abstain from fornication, un- 
cleanness, and equivocal and foolish talk. No one, therefore, 
who is addicted to these vices, can have any inheritance in the 
kingdom of Christ. St. Paul also warns us against deceiving 
with vain words, such as are careless about committing sin, as 
if any crime were but a light fault, for which one might easily 
obtain pardon ; and here, perhaps, he refers more particularly 
to the Gentiles. 

Infidels, children of darkness and of the devil, are they 
who use vain words, that bring down the wrath of God upon 
all who believe them. A Christian, a child of light, that is of 
faith, should regard as a sin, what faith and conscience tell him 
to be so, and must live according to their direction, and not 
that of unbelieving and impious men. Ask yourself, therefore, 
O Christian, should any one try to lead you astray, whether 
after such a deed you could stand before the judgment-seat 
of God ? Listen to your conscience, as to an impartial judge, 
and then decide whether that which you are asked to do is 
good or bad, lawful or unlawful. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 219 

Aspiration. 

O Lord, free my heart from all inordinate desires for tem- 
poral goods and sensual pleasures. May a childlike fear of 
thee, O God, guard my tongue, that I may not speak foolish, 
frivolous, and far less vain or scandalous words, which may 
give occasion to my neighbor to fall. Strengthen me, that I 
may not be deceived by vain words, and become faithless to 
thee, but that I may always walk as a child of light before 
thee. Ameu. 

Gospel. (Luke xi. 14-28.) 

At that time: Jesus was casting out a devil, and the same was 
dumb ; and when he had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke : and the 
multitudes were in admiration at it: but some of them said: He 
casteth out devils, by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. And others 
tempting, asked of him a sign from heaven. But he seeing their 
thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself shall 
be brought to desolation, and house upon house shall fall. And if 
satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand ? 
because you say, that through Beelzebub I cast out devils. Now if I 
oast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them 
out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I by the finger of 
God cast out devils, doubtless the kingdom of God is come upon you. 
When a strong man armed keepeth his court : those things are in 
peace which he possesseth. But if a stronger than he come upon 
him and overcome him: he will take away all his armor wherein he 
trusted, and will distribute his spoils. He that is not with me is 
against me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth. When 
the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through places 
without water, seeking rest: and not tinding, he saith : I will re- 
turn into my house whence I came out. And when he is come, he 
findeth it swept and garnished. Then he goeth and taketh with him 
seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in they 
dwell there. And the last state of that man becometh worse than 
the first. And it came to pass: as he spoke these things, a certain 
woman from the crowd lifting up her voice said to him: Blessed is 
the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck. But he 
said : Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and 
keep it. 

What are we to understand here by the dumb devil ? 



220 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

The evil spirit, who so controls those of whom he has pos- 
session, that they are dumb. 

By what power did Christ cast out the devil ? 

By his divine power, described also as the finger of God, 
which worked so suddenly and perfectly, that the possessed 
was at once freed and able to speak. 

How did Christ show the Jews that he did not cast out 
devils by Beelzebub ? 

1. By the parable in which he explains to them that the 
kingdom of Satan cannot stand if one evil spirit is cast out by 
another. 2. By pointing to their own children, some of whom 
were enabled to cast out devils by the power they had received 
from God (Mark ix. 37, 38). For if they cast out devils in 
the name of God, why should the same thing, when done by 
Jesus, be ascribed to the devil ? Is not this evident malice 
against him ? 3. By his whole life, and his works, which were 
in direct opposition to the devil. 

The best defence against calumny is an innocent life ; and 
the sweetest consolation for those who are slandered, is the 
remembrance of Jesus Christ, who was thus accused. If we 
are obliged to defend ourselves otherwise, we should do so 
with truth and energy, but without bitterness or revenge- 
fulness. 

How can we apply this parable to ourselves ? 

1. We also are dumb when we cease to praise God, to thank 
him for the faculty of speech, and when our prayer is without 
devotion. 2. When we do not defend our neighbor, in case 
of his honor and good name being attacked, to save him from 
harm if we can. 3. When we neglect brotherly admonitions, 
through indifference to the sins of those that belong to us; not 
preventing the evil that we might, by our authority and in- 
fluence. 4. When, through false shame, we do not confess 
our sins with sincerity. Jesus, by his grace bringing us to a 
good confession, casts this dumb devil out of us. 

Who is the strong man armed ? 

It is Beelzebub, in whose name, according to the opinion ot 
the Jews, Jesus cast out devils. The meaning of this whole 
passage is, "I am necessarily stronger than Satan, because I 



THE EPISTLES AXD GOSPELS. 221 

overcome him, and take away his armor; that is, his malice, 
his hatred against God and man, his craft in deceiving, to- 
gether with the wicked inclinations of men, idleness, bad com- 
pany, slothfulness in prayer, and above all, human respect, all 
which are arms of Satan. 

Why does Jesus say, he that is not with me is against me, 
and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth P. 

Jesus here reproved the Jewish priests, the Pharisees, and 
doctors of the law, who, as men of learning and leaders of the 
people, should have been the first to know and receive him as 
the Messiah, and to join themselves to him, instead of perse- 
cuting him, maligning him as an associate of Satan, and en- 
deavoring to destroy his kingdom. 

Every Christian is thus bound to fight with Christ against 
the devil, against sin, and all its attendant evils. 

Consider this well, O Christian, that between truth and 
error, between Christ and Satan, there is no middle party. 
Either you belong to God or to Satan ; either you work for 
God or the devil. Are you not with Christ, against the world 
and the devil ? Then you break the oath of baptism, and are 
the enemy of Christ. We cannot serve God and the world ; 
we cannot give ourselves up to the vanities of the world, and 
at the same time be pious and devout. He that is not with 
is against me. 

How shall we understand what Jesus said about the uncL 
spirit '? 

In the literal sense, these words were a warning to the Jews ; 
particularly to the Pharisees and doctors of the law, showing 
them that their continued unbelief, after so many miraculous 
proofs of his mission and authority as the Messiah, would with 
certainty bring them to perdition. 

In the spiritual sense, they describe the state of the soul 
which has been purified by the grace of God, but has fallen 
back again into sin. For the soul of the sinner is the dwelling- 
place of Satan. Is he expelled thence by the grace of God, he 
.goes, seeking another resting-place; but finding none — that is, 
ing to men who keep their hearts shut against him, by 
penance, watching, and a virtuous life, and give no entrance to 



222 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

his malice — he says, " I will return to the soul which I left." 
He applies himseltj therefore, to seduce that soul again, by de- 
ceiving it, and causing its zeal to grow cold ; its watchfulness 
and penance to cease. If he is successful, and the man falls 
into his former sins, and others besides, he then re-enters that 
soul, taking with him seven other spirits more wicked than 
himself, and the last state of that man becomes worse than 
the first. And this, 1. Because a relapse into sin gives fresh 
strength to its inclinations, while at the same time it weakens 
the will, thus making it harder for the man to extricate him- 
self; just as, in bodily diseases, relapses are always attended 
with additional danger. 2. Because renewed and repeated 
infidelities remove the sinner the further from God, and render 
him unworthy of the grace without which he cannot be saved. 
3. Because a relapse into sin brings along with it indifference, 
feebleness, and many other sins. 4. Because a habit of sin is 
thus formed, which it is almost impossible' to break. 5. Be- 
cause when God forsakes man, he gives himself up entirely to 
sin, and becomes hardened and impenitent. Such is the mean- 
ing of the seven evil spirits occupying the heart of man. 

Christian soul, guard against a relapse into sin, lest the 
worst befall thee. What happens to the individual will also 
happen to the nation. Thus it is that our Saviour applies the 
parable to the Jews, whose unbelief, immorality, and malice, 
becoming more and more confirmed, brought destruction upon 
them. 

Why is the woman who praised Christ mentioned in this 
gospel ? 

It is done, says Bede, to the eternal honor of her, who thus, 
publicly and without fear, called Him blessed whom the Phari- 
sees mocked and tempted in the most revolting manner. He 
who among the wicked shows himself to be pious, deserves 
the greatest praise. 

Why does Jesus call those blessed who hear the word of 
God, and keep it ? 

Because it is not enough to obtain salvation that we should 
hear the word of God only; we must also practice it. By this 
answer Christ wished it to be understood that his mother was 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 223 

to be called blessed, not only because she had conceived him, 
the Word of God, but also because she kept that word in her 
heart, and lived according to it. 

Aspiration. 

I thank thee, O Jesus, for having freed me from the slavery 
of Satan ; but look upon my frailty, and enlighten, O True 
Light, the eyes of my soul, that I may never be induced, by 
the delusions of the evil spirit, to disregard the malice and 
hurtfulness of sin, or to conceal it through false shame. 
Strengthen me, O Jesus, conqueror of the dumb devil, that if 
I should have the misfortune to sin against thy holy command- 
ments, I may have courage to overcome my false shame, and 
confess my sins in sincerity and humility. O my Saviour, be 
thou my leader in the fight, that I may foil those arms of the 
devil, my evil inclinations, idleness, bad company, bad books, 
and human respect, and grant that I may never relapse into 
sin, but serve thee with perseverance. Amen. 

Meditation. 

Jesus is brought out before the people, with the words, " Be- 
hold the man !" Do you also remain unmoved, like the Jews, 
while looking at the lacerated Saviour ? 



itlonbaji. $!)irfr tteek in £<mt. 

Introit of the Mass. In God I 'will praise the word, in the 
Lord I will praise his speech. In God I icill trust. I will 
not fear what man can do against me (Ps. lv.) Have mercy 
on me, God, for man hath trodden me under foot. All the 
day long he had afflicted me, fighting against me. Glory be 
to the Father. 

Prayer. 
Pour forth, in thy mercy, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy 
grace into our hearts, that, as Ave abstain from flesh, we may 
also restrain our senses from hurtful excesses. 



224 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Epistle. (4 Kings v. 1 15.) 

In those days, Naaman, general of the army of tlie king of Syria, 
was a great man with his master, and honorable: for by him the Lord 
gave deliverance to Syria : and he was a valiant man and rich, but 
a leper. Now there had gone out robbers from Syria, and had led 
away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid, and she waited 
upon-Naaman's wife. And she said to her mistress : I wish my mas- 
ter had been with the prophet, that is in Samaria: he would certainly 
have healed him of the leprosy Avhich he hath. Then Naaman went 
in to his lord, and told him, saying : Thus and thus said the girl from 
the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said to him : Go, and I will 
send a letter to the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with 
him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten 
changes of raiment, and brought the letter to the king of Israel, in 
these words : When thou shalt receive this letter, know that I have 
sent to thee Naaman my servant, that thou mayest heal him of his 
leprosy. And when the king of Israel had read the letter, he rent 
his garments, and said : Am I God, to be able to kill and give life, 
that this man hath sent to me, to heal a man of his leprosy ? mark, 
and see how he seeketh occasions against me. And when Eliseus the 
man of God had heard this, to wit, that the king of Israel had rent 
his garments, he sent to him, saying : "Why hast thou rent thy gar- 
ments ? let him come to me, and let him know that there is a prophet 
in Israel. So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and stood 
at the door of the house of Eliseus : and Eliseus sent a messenger to 
him, saying : Go, and wash seven times in the Jordan, and thy flesh 
shall recover health, and thou shalt be clean. Naaman was angry 
and Avent away, saying : I thought he would have come out to me, 
and standing would have invoked the name of the Lord his God, and 
touched with his hand the place of the leprosy, and healed me. Are 
not the Abana, and the Pharphar, rivers of Damascus, better than all 
the waters of Israel, that I may wash in them, and he made clean ? 
So as he turned, and was going away with indignation, his servants 
came to him, and said to him : Father, if the prophet had bid thee do 
some great thing, surely thou shouldst have done it : how much rather 
what he now hath said to thee : Wash, and thou shalt be clean ? 
Then he went down, and washed in the Jordan seven times: accord- 
ing to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored, like 
the flesh of a little child, and he was made clean. And returning to 
the man of God with all his train, he came, and stood before him, and 
said : In truth, I know there is no other God in all the earth ; but only 
in Israel. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 225 

Explanation. 

The washing of Xaaman, the leper, in the river Jordan, by 
which he was made clean, according to the word of Eliseus, 
was a figure of baptism and penance, by which the leprosy of 
the soul, sin, is removed. 

Use often, therefore, the sacrament of penance, that thy soul 
may become purer and more acceptable to God. 

Gospel. (Luke iv. 23-30.) 

At that time Jesus said to the Pharisees : Doubtless you will say to 
me this similitude : Physician, heal thyself: as great things as we have 
heard done in Capharnaum^ do also here in thy own country. And 
he said : Amen, I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in his own 
country. In truth I say to you, there were many widows in the days 
of Elias in Israel, when heaven was shut up three years and six 
months, when there was a great famine throughout all the land. And 
to none of them was Elias sent, but into Sarepta of Sidon, to a widow 
woman. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Eliseus 
the prophet : and none of them was cleansed but Xaaman the Syrian. 
And all they in the synagogue, hearing these things, were filled with 
anger. And they rose up and thrust him out of the city : and they 
brought him to the brow of the hill, whereon their city was built, 
that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through 
the midst of them, went his way. 

Practice. 

It was through a perverted will that the Pharisees demand- 
ed miracles of Jesus. He, knowing their hearts, reproached 
them for this, and pointed out to them the final perdition in 
which their course would end. Hearing this, they were filled 
with anger, and sought to kill him. 

Like these Pharisees are the infidels of our day, who, throw- 
ing oft' the yoke of faith, rise against God and his holy Church, 
to destroy her. Will they ever be successful ? No ; save as 
the Xazarenes were, in putting Jesus to death. What a con- 
solation in persecution, for us, that they can neither hurt us, or 
the Church ; and what an encouragement to be firm in our 
faith in Jesus and his holy Church ! 

10* 



226 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Meditation. 

Pilate gives Jesus up to the Jews to be crucified, although 
acknowledging him to be innocent. Hast thou never acted 
against thy knowledge — out of fear condemning the innocent ? 

Prayer over the People. 

Let thy mercy, O God, assist us, that by thy protection we 
may deserve to be delivered from the threatening dangers of 
our sins, and by thy deliverance be saved. Through Christ. 



&uesfrag. ®I)irb toeek in Cent* 

Introit of the Mass. I have cried, for thou, God, hast 
heard me / O incline thine ear and hear my words ; keep me, 
Lord, as the apple of thine eye, protect me under the shadow 
of thy wings (Ps. xvi.) Sear, Lord, my justice y attend to 
my prayer. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Graciously hear us, O Almighty and merciful God, and 
favorably grant to us the gifts of wholesome self-denial. 
Through Christ. 

Epistle. (4 Kings iv. 1-7.) 

In those days, a certain woman of the wives of the prophets cried 
to Eliseus, saying: Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou know- 
est that thy servant was one that feared God, and behold the creditor 
is come to take away my two sons to serve him. And Eliseus said to 
her: What wilt thou have me do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou 
in thy house? And she answered : I thy handmaid have nothing in 
my house but a little oil, to anoint me. And he said to her : Go, bor- 
row of all thy neighbors empty vessels not a few. And go in, and 
shut thy door, when thou art within, and thy sons: and pour out 
thereof into all those vessels, and when they are full take them away. 
So the woman went, and shut the door upon her, and upon her sons: 
they brought her the vessels, and she poured in. And when the ves- 
sels were full, she said to her son: Bring me yet a vessel. And he 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 227 

answered: I have no more. And the oil stood. And she came and 
told the man of God. And he said : Go, sell the oil, and pay thy 
creditor : and thou and thy sons live of the rest. 

Explanation. 

By this epistle, the proverb is verified : " The greater our 
need, the nearer is God." Our confidence in him should, 
therefore, increase as our need increases. Purity of heart, and 
fervor in doing good works, give firm hope to the just. God 
enriches us with heavenly goods, as he finds us free from desire 
for the p'oods of this world. 



& 



Govpel. (Matt, xviii. 15-22.) 

At that time Jesus said to his disciples: If thy brother shall offend 
against thee, go, and rebuke him between thee and him alone. If he 
shall hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother. But if he will not hear 
thee, take with thee one or two more : that in the mouth of two or 
three witnesses every word may stand. And if he will not hear 
them : tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him 
be to thee as the heathen and publican. Amen I say to you, whatso- 
ever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven: and 
whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven, 
Again I say to you, that if two of you shall consent upon earth, con- 
cerning any thing whatsoever they shall ask, it shall be done to them 
by my Father who is in heaven. For where there are two or three 
gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Then 
came Peter unto hiin and said : Lord, how often shall my brother of- 
fend against me, and I forgive him ? till seven times? Jesus saith to 
him : I.'say not to thee, till seven times ; but till seventy times seven 
times. 

Practice. 
Jesus here teaches us both the method and the importance 
of brotherly correction and reconciliation. We must first re- 
buke our brother alone, then before one or two friends. If he 
should not hear them, we should try to reconcile him through 
the authority of our spiritual superiors, and on our part be 
ever ready for reconciliation, whether our advances are accept- 
ed or not. Whoever does not hear the Church incurs the sen- 
tence of eternal damnation ; but he who hears the Church, be- 



228 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

comes reconciled to his brother, and prays with him, shall 
receive what he asks for. What an inestimable good might 
such brotherly correction and reconciliation be to the commu- 
nity of Christians, if it were not that we allow ourselves to be 
paralyzed by fear of men, and are more ready to calumniate 
our neighbor than to gain him to God. 

Meditation. 

Jesus, dressed as a king, is mocked. Hast thou never ridi- 
culed poor, debilitated, and old persons, in whom thou shouldst 
have recognized Jesus Christ ? 

Prayer over the People. 

Defend us, O Lord, by thy protection, and always preserve 
us from all iniquity. Through our Lord. 



fcOebnesbag. (Eljirir toeek in Cent. 

Tntroit of the Mass. But I will hope in the Lord. I will 
be glad and rejoice in thy mercy, for thou hast regarded my 
humility (Ps. xxx.) In thee, Lord, have I hoped, let me 
never be confounded ; deliver me in thy justice, and rescue me. 
Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Grant us, we beseech thee, O Lord, that instructed by whole- 
some fasting, and abstaining from dangerous vices, we may 
more easily obtain thy favor. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Exodus xx. 12-24.) 

Thus saitli the Lord God: Honor thy father and thy mother, that 
thou mayest be long-lived upon the land which the Lord thy God will 
give thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou 
shalt not steal. Thou shalt not hear false witness against thy neigh- 
bor. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house: neither shalt thou 
desire his wife, nor his servant, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his 
ass, nor any thing that is his. And all the people saw the voices and 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 229 

the flames, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mount smoking: 
and being terrified and struck with fear, they stood afar off, saying 
to Moses: Speak thou to us, and we will hear: let not the Lord speak 
to us, lest we die. And Moses said to the people: Fear not: for God 
has come to prove you, and that the dread of him might be in you, 
and you should not sin. And the people stood afar off. But Moses 
went to the dark cloud wherein God was. And the Lord said to 
Moses: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: You have seen 
that I have spoken to you from heaven. You shall not make gods of 
silver, nor shall you make to yourselves gods of gold. You shall 
make an altar of earth unto me, and you shall offer upon it your 
holocausts and peace-offerings, your sheep and oxen, in every place 
where the memory of my name shall be. 

Explanation. 

Every legislator says, "Thou shalt not commit adultery. 
Thou shalt not steal ;" but only He who knows our hearts has 
forbidden us to covet. To have no desire for what is forbid- 
den, is the very essence of rectitude, because then the root of 
vice is destroyed ; and out of love to our neighbor not to covet, 
is the spirit of the life of Christ. The fear of the Lord is 
good: it restrains outward acts: but love which combats the 
evil inclinations within, and brings us nearer to God, is better. 
More pleasing to him than an altar of pure gold set with the 
precious things of earth, is the heart from which is offered up 
what is acceptable to him. 

Gospel. (Matt, xv. 1-20.) 

At that time : There came to Jesus from Jerusalem, Scribes and 
Pharisees, saying: Why do thy disciples transgress the traditions of 
the ancients? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 
But he answering, said to them : Why do you also transgress the 
commandment of God for your tradition? For God said: Honor 
thy father and mother; and: He that shall curse father or mother, 
let him die the death. But you say: Whosoever shall say to father 
or mother, The gift whatsoever proccedeth from me, shall profit thee; 
and lie shall not honor his lather or his mother: and you have made 
void the commandment of God for your tradition. Hypocrites, well 
hath Isaias prophesied of yon, saying: This people honoreth me with 
their lips: but their heart is far from me. And in vain do they wor- 



230 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ship me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men. And having 
called together the multitudes unto him, he said to them: Hear ye 
and understand. Not that which goeth into the mouth, defileth a 
man: but what cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Then 
came his disciples, and said to him: Dost thou know that the Phari- 
sees, when they heard this word, were scandalized ? But he answer- 
ing, said: Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, 
shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they are blind, and leaders of 
the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both fall into the pit. 
And Peter answering, said to him : Expound to us this parable. But 
he said: Are you also yet without understanding? Do you not un- 
derstand, that whatsoever entereth into the mouth, goeth into the 
belly, and is cast out into the privy? But the things which proceed 
out of the mouth, come forth from the heart, and those things defile 
a man. For from the heart cometh forth evil thoughts, murders, 
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. These 
are the things that defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands 
doth not defile a man. 

What is the meaning of the words, " not that which goeth 
into the mouth, defileth a man?" 

Christ did not mean to say, " Eat and drink whatever you 
wish, you will never sin ;" for to abstain from certain food was 
commanded by that divine law which he came to fulfil (Matt. 
v. IV); but he intended thereby to say, "It is not the unclean 
or forbidden food alone which defiles a man, but it is the per- 
verse will within, and the wicked deeds without, that make 
him sinful and unclean." When our first parents in Paradise 
ate the forbidden fruit, it was not the fruit itself entering the 
mouth, but the disobedience towards God, proceeding from 
the heart, that first defiled them, and after that, the act of eat- 
ing. Thus thou also art defiled by the wicked words coming 
from thy mouth, with which thou gainsayest the authority 
instituted by God ; by thy gluttony on days of fasting and 
abstinence appointed by the Church. 

What Christians in this way make themselves guilty of 
hypocrisy ? 

Those who keep the precepts of the Church, but violate, at 
the same time, the law of God. Many, for instance, would 
not for any consideration eat flesh-meat on a Friday, but do 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 231 

not hesitate to eat more than enough of permitted meats, to 
curse and swear, to scandalize the little ones, to slander their 
neighbors, and to drive away the poor and needy. 

Meditation. 

Jesus is crowned with thorns. He suffers for your proud, 
vain, and sinful thoughts. Oh, be sorry for them ! combat them ! 

Prayer over the People. 
Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who seek 
the favor of thy protection, being delivered from all evils, may 
serve thee with secure minds. Throuo;h Christ. 



fttjursban. &t)irb toeek in Cent. 

Introit of the Mass. I am the salvation of the people, saith 
the Lord. From ichatever tribulation they shall cry to me, 1 
will hear them, and I will be their Lord forever (Ps. lxxvii.) 
Attend, my people, to my law, incline your ear to the vjords 
of my mouth. Glory be the Father. 

Prayer. 

May the blessed solemnity of thy saints, Cosmas and Da- 
mian, magnify thee, O Lord, by which thou hast granted eter- 
nal glory to them and assistance to us in thy ineffable provi- 
dence. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Jer. vii. 1-7.) 

In those days the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Stand 
in the gate of the house of the Lord, and proclaim there this word, and 
say : Hear ye the word of the Lord, all ye men of Juda, that enter in 
at these gates, to adore the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts the 
God of Israel: Make your ways and your doings good: and 1 will 
dwell with you in this place. Trust not in lying words, saying: The 
temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, it is the temple of the 
Lord. For if you will order well yonr ways, and your doings : if you 
will execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, if you op- 
press not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not 



232 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

innocent blood in this place, and walk not after strange gods to your 
own hurt, I will dwell with you in this place : in the land which I 
gave to your fathers from the beginning and forever, saith the Lord 
Almighty. 

Explanation. 

The Jews believed themselves to be acceptable to God, be- 
cause they had the temple of the true God at Jerusalem, and 
observed the requirements of the external service there offered. 
This error the prophet exposes ; teaching them, by divine com- 
mand, that he only is acceptable to God who combines the out- 
wafd service with an inward intention to please God, and to 
perform works of justice and mercy. 

Like these Jews, many Catholics attach more importance to 
the outward observances and ceremonies of the Church, than 
to the correction of their hearts. We may justly feel happy 
to be members of the Catholic Church ; but let us remember 
the significant words of St. Pacian, " What does it profit us to 
believe in the Catholic Church, but to live like the heathen ?" 

Gospel. (Luke iv. 38-44.) 

At that time Jesus, rising up out of the synagogue, went into 
Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great 
fever, and they besought him for her. And standing over her, he 
commanded the fever, and it left her. And immediately rising, she 
ministered to them. And when the sun was down, all they that had 
any sick with divers diseases, brought them to him. But he laying 
his hands on every one of them, healed them. And devils went out 
from many, crying out and saying : Thou art the Son of God. And 
rebuking them he suffered them not to speak, for they knew that he 
was Christ. And when it was day, going out he went into a desert 
place, and the multitudes sought him, and came unto him : and they 
detained him that he should not depart from them. To whom he 
said: To other cities also I must preach the kingdom of God: for 
therefor am 1 sent. And he was preaching in the synagogues of 
Galilee. 

What does the mother of Simon's wife here teach us? 
To devote our strength, after recovery from sickness, to God 
and to our neighbor, for God's sake. Let us never commence 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 233 

a day without thinking, "This is perhaps my last clay." It is 
also a praiseworthy devotion to end our prayers every morn- 
ing and evening with an act of contrition, and the Psalm De 
Profundis (cxxix.) St. Paul says, in his Epistle to the Corinth- 
ians (xv. 31), I die daily. St. Theresa said, every time the 
clock struck, " I am now one hour nearer to judgment." Fi- 
nally, keep your heart continually so prepared as to be able to 
say calmly, with the Psalmist, My heart is ready, Lord, my 
heart is ready. I expect thee every hour. Blessed is that 
servant, whom, when his Lord shall come, he shall find so 
doing (Matt. xxiv. 46). 

Meditation. 

Loaded with the cross, Jesus is led to death. As often as 
your passions rebel against the cross, remember Jesus, and 
follow him in love. 

Prayer over the People. 

May heavenly propitiation increase thy people subject to 
thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, and make them ever servants 
of thy Commandments. Through Christ. 



-fribaj). &l)irb tDeek in £cnt, 

The Introit of the Mass. Show me, God, a token for 
good, that they who hate me may see and be confounded ; 
because thou, Lord, hast helped me, hast comforted me 
(Ps. Ixxxv.) Bow down thy ear, Lord, and hear me, for I 
am needy and poor. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Look down on our fasts, we beseech thee, O Lord, with 
merciful favor, that, as we abstain from food in body, so we 
may fust from vice in mind. Through our Lord. 



234 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



Epistle. (Numbers xx. 2-13.) 

In those days, the children of Israel came together against Moses 
and Aaron : and making a sedition, they said : "Would God we had 
perished among our brethren before the Lord. Why have you 
brought out the church of the Lord into the wilderness, that both 
we and our cattle should die? Why have you made us come up 
out of Egypt, and have brought us into this wretched place which 
cannot be sowed, nor bringeth forth figs, nor vines, nor pomegra- 
nates, neither is there any water to drink ? And Moses and Aaron 
leaving the multitude, went into the tabernacle of the covenant, and 
fell flat upon the ground, and cried to the Lord, and said : O Lord 
God, hear the cry of this people, and open to them thy treasure, a 
fountain of living water, that being satisfied they may cease to mur- 
mur. And the glory of the Lord appeared over them. And the 
Lord spoke to Moses, saying : Take the rod, and assemble the people 
together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak to the rock before 
them, and it shall yield waters. And when thou hast brought forth 
water out of the rock, all the multitude and their cattle shall drink. 
Moses therefore took the rod, which was before the Lord, as he had 
commanded him. And having gathered together the multitude before 
the rock, he said to them : Hear, ye rebellious and incredulous : Can 
we bring you forth water out of this rock ? And when Moses had 
lifted up his hand, and struck the rock twice with the rod, there came 
forth water in great abundance, so that the people and their cattle 
drank. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron : Because you have 
not believed me, to sanctify me before the children of Israel, you shall 
not bring these people into the land, which I will give them. This is 
the Water of contradiction, where the children of Israel strove with 
words against the Lord, and he was sanctified in them. . 



Explanation. 

Can ice bring you forth toater out of this rock ? " This 
was said," says St. Augustine, " not that Moses doubted the 
almighty power of God, but only his own power under those 
particular circumstances ; namely, during the murmurs of the 
people. For this reason, God suffered the water to come forth 
after the second stroke. Thus the man to whom God himself 
gave testimony that he was faithful in his whole house, lost a 
great temporal consolation, for Josue was appointed in his 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 235 

room to bring the Israelites into Canaan. Thus God punishes 
the faults of the just. 

Are not we like the Israelites, who, having for so many 
years received favors from God, murmured against him ? Is 
not our behavior the same as theirs, when, after continued hap- 
piness, one day of misfortune befalls us ? 

Gospel. (John iv. 5-42.) 

At that time Jesus came to a city of Samaria which is called Sichar; 
near the piece of land which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now 
Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore being wearied with his jour- 
ney, sat thus on the well. It was about the sixth hour. There com- 
eth a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith to her : Give 
me to drink. For his disciples were gone into the city to buy meats. 
Then that Samaritan woman saith to him : How dost thou, being a 
Jew, ask of me to drink, who am a Samaritan woman? For the Jews 
do not communicate with the Samaritans. Jesus answered, and said 
to her : If thou didst know the gift of God, and who is he that saith 
to thee, Give me to drink ; thou perhaps wouldst have asked of him, 
and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith to 
him : Sir, thou hast nothing wherein to draw, and the well is deep : 
from whence then hast thou living water ? Art thou greater than 
oar father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, 
and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered, and said to her: 
Whosoever drinketh of this water, shall thirst again ; but he that 
shall drink of the water that I will give him, shall not thirst forever : 
but the water that I will give him, shall become in him a fountain of 
water springing up into life everlasting. The woman saith to him : 
Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to 
draw. Jesus saith to her: Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 
The woman answered, and said : I have no husband. Jesus said to 
her : Thou hast said well, I have no husband : for thou hast had five 
husbands : and he whom thou now hast, is not thy husband. This 
thou hast said truly. The woman saith to him : Sir, I perceive that 
thou art a prophet. Our fathers adored on this mountain, and you 
say, that at Jerusalem is the place where men must adore. Jesus 
saith to her : Woman, believe me, that the hour cometh, when you 
shall neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem adore the Father. 
You adore that which you know not: we adore that which we know; 
for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when 
the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in truth. For 



236 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

the Father also seeketh such to adore him. God is a spirit, and they 
that adore him, must adore him in spirit and in truth. The woman 
saith to him : I know that the Messias eometh (who is called Christ) 
therefore when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith to 
her : I am he who am speaking with thee. And immediately his dis- 
ciples came : and they wondered that he talked with the woman. 
Yet no man said : What seekest thou, or why talkest thou with her ? 
The woman therefore left her water-pot, and went her way into the 
city, and saith to the men there : Come, and see a man who has told 
me all things whatsoever I have done. Is not he the Christ? They 
went therefore out of the city, and came unto him. In the mean 
time the disciples prayed him, saying : Rabbi, eat. But he said to 
them : I have meat to eat which you know not. The disciples there- 
fore said one to another : Hath any man brought him to eat ? Jesus 
saith to them : My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, that I 
may perfect his work. Do not you say, there are yet four months, 
and then the harvest eometh? Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes, 
and see the countries, for they are white already to harvest. And he 
that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life everlast- 
ing : that both he that soweth and he that reapeth, may rejoice to- 
gether. For in this is the saying true : that it is one man that soweth, 
and it is another that reapeth. I have sent you to reap that in which 
you did not labor : others have labored, and you have entered into 
their labors. Now of that city many of the Samaritans believed in 
him, for the word of the woman giving testimony : He told me all 
things whatsoever I have done So when the Samaritans were come 
to him, they -desired him that he would tarry there And he abode 
there two days. And many more believed in him because of his own 
word. And they said to the woman : We now believe, not for thy 
saying : for we ourselves have heard him, and know that this is in- 
deed the Saviour of the world. 

What do these words of Christ mean, he that shall drink of 
the water that I vnll give him, shall not thirst forever f 

This water is, 1. The living truth ; and to drink of it means 
to receive the heavenly truth, as the thirsty drink fresh water. 
2. It is the fountain of the grace of Jesus Christ, cleansing the 
soul, and refreshing it, and allaying the heats of passion and 
concupiscence, moistening the soil of our hearts to bring forth 
good works, and imparting true life. It is, again, the effusion 
of the Holy Spirit into our hearts. Whoever possesses this 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 237 

Holy Spirit has found rest in God, for whom he was created in 
the knowledge of his truth, and of a holy life. He has in his 
heart a fountain which is never dried up, except by mortal sin, 
the water of which quenches the thirst for worldly goods be- 
yond our reach, and the lust for sinful pleasures which disquiet 
the mind, keeping our thoughts raised to heaven, until through 
thorns and sorrows, patiently suffering and praying, combating 
and conquering, we enter into eternal life, and thirst no more. 

Meditation. 

Jesus admonishes the women of Jerusalem to weep over 
themselves and their children. Thus we too weep over the 
sufferings of Christ, without amending our lives, which also 
should move us to tears. 

Prayer over the People. 
Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who con- 
fide in thy protection, may, by thy assistance, overcome all that 
is opposed to us. Through Christ. 



Satnruat). ®l)irb tiOeek in £ent. 

Introit of the Mass. Give ear, Lord, to my icords, under- 
stand my cry • hearken to the voice of my prayer, my king, 
and my God (Ps. v.) For to thee icill I pray, Lord ; in the 
morning thou shalt hear my voice. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that they, who 
afflicting their flesh, abstain from food, may, following justice, 
fast from sin. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Daniel xiii. 1-62.) 
In those days there was a man, that dwelt in Babylon, and his name 
was Joakim : and he took a wife whose name was Susanna, the daugh- 
ter of Helcias, a very beautiful woman, and one that feared God. For 
her parents being just, had instructed their daughter according to the 



238 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

law of Moses. Now Joakim was very rich, and had an orchard near 
his house : and the Jews resorted to him, because he was the most 
honorable of them all. And there were two of the ancients of the 
people appointed judges that year, of whom the Lord said : Iniquity 
came out from Babylon from the ancient judges, that seemed to gov- 
ern the people. These men frequented the house of Joakim, and all 
that had any matters of judgment came to them. And when the peo- 
ple departed away at noon, Susanna went in, and walked in her hus- 
band's orchard. And the old men saw her going in every day, and 
walking: and they were inflamed with lust towards her: and they 
perverted their own mind and turned away their eyes that they might 
not look unto heaven, nor remember just judgments. So they were 
both wounded with the love of her, yet they did not make known 
their grief one to the other : for they were ashamed to declare to one 
another their lust, being desirous to have to do with her: and they 
watched carefully every day to see her : and one said to another : Let 
us now go home, for it is dinner time. So going out, they departed 
one from another. And turning back again, they came both to the 
same place : and asking one another the cause, they acknowledged 
their lust: and then they agreed upon a time, when they might find 
her alone. And it fell out, as they watched a fit day, she went in on 
a time, as yesterday and the day before, with two maids only, and was 
desirous to wash herself in the orchard : for it was hot weather. And 
there was nobody there, but the two old men that had hid themselves 
and were beholding her. So she said to the maids : Bring me oil, and 
washing balls, and shut the doors of the orchard, that I may wash me. 
And they did as she bade them : and they shut the doors of the or- 
chard, and went out by a back door to fetch what she had command- 
ed them, and they knew not that the elders were hid within. Now 
when the maids were gone forth, the two elders arose, and ran to her, 
and said : Behold the doors of the orchard are shut, and nobody seeth 
us, and we are in love with thee : wherefore consent to us, and lie 
with us. But if thou wilt not, we will bear witness against thee, that 
a young man was with thee, and therefore thou didst send away thy 
maids from thee. Susanna sighed and said : I am straitened on every 
side : for if I do this thing, it is death to me : and if I do it not, I shall 
not escape your hands. But it is better for me to fall into your hands 
without doing it, than to sin in the sight of the Lord. With that Su- 
sanna cried out with a loud voice: and the elders also cried out 
against her. And one of them ran to the door of the orchard, and 
opened it. So when the servants of the house heard the cry in the 
orchard, they rushed in by the back door to see what was the matter. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 239 

But after the old men had spoken, the servants were greatly ashamed ; 
for never had there been any such word said of Susanna. And on 
the next day, when the people were come to Joakim her husband, the 
two elders also came full of wicked device against Susanna, to put her 
to death. And they said before the people : Send to Susanna, daugh- 
ter of Helcias the wife of Joakim. And presently they sent, and she 
came with her parents, and children, and all her kindred. Now Su- 
sanna was exceeding delicate, and beautiful to behold. But those 
wicked men commanded that her face should be uncovered (for she 
was covered) that so at least they might be satisfied with her beauty. 
Therefore her friends, and all her acquaintance wept. But the two 
elders rising up in the midst of the people, laid their hands upon her 
head. And she weeping looked up to heaven, for her heart had con- 
fidence in the Lord. And the elders said : As we walked in the 
orchard alone, this woman came in with two maids, and shut the 
doors of the orchard, and sent away the maids from her. Then a 
young man that was there hid came to her, and lay with her. But 
we that were in a corner of the orchard, seeing this wickedness, ran 
up to them, and we saw them lie together. And him indeed we 
could not take, because he was stronger than we, and opening the 
doors he leaped out : but having taken this woman, we asked who the 
young man was, but she would not tell us : of this thing we are wit- 
nesses. The multitude believed them as being the elders and the 
judges of the people, and they condemned her to death. Then Su- 
sanna cried out with a loud voice, and said : O eternal God, who 
knuwest hidden things, who knowest all things before they come to 
pass, thou knowest that they have borne false witness against me : 
and behold I must die, whereas I have done none of these things, 
which these men have maliciously forged against me. And the Lord 
heard her voice. And when she was led to be put to death, the Lord 
raised up the holy spirit of a young boy, whose name was Daniel. 
And he cried out with a loud voice : I am clear from the blood of 
this woman. Then all the people turning themselves towards him, 
said : What meaneth this word that thou hast spoken ? But he 
standing in the midst of them, said: Are ye so foolish, ye children of 
Israel, that without examination or knowledge of the truth, you have 
condemned a daughter of Israel ? Return to judgment, for they have 
borne false witness against her. So all the people turned again in 
ha>te, and the old men said to him : Come, and sit thou down among 
as, and shew it us : seeing God hath given thee the honor of old age. 
And Daniel said to the people : Separate these two far from one an- 
other, and I will examine them. So when they were put asunder one 



240 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

from the other, he called one of them, and said to him : thou that 
art grown old in evil days, now are thy sins come out, which thou 
hast committed before: in judging unjust judgments, oppressing the 
innocent, and letting the guilty to go free, whereas the Lord saith: 
The innocent and the just thou shalt not kill. Now then, if thou saw- 
est her, tell me under what tree thou sawest them conversing together. 
He said : Under a mastic tree. And Daniel said : Well hast thou lied 
against thy own head : for behold the Angel of God having received 
the sentence of him, shall cut thee in two. And having put him aside, 
he commanded that the other should come, and he said to him : O 
thou seed of Chanaan, and not of Juda, beauty hath deceived thee, 
and lust hath perverted thy heart: thus did you do to the daughters 
of Israel, and they for fear conversed with you: but a daughter of 
Juda would not abide your wickedness. Now therefore tell me, under 
what tree didst thou take them conversing together. And he answer- 
ed : Under a holm tree. And Daniel said to him : "Well hast thou 
also lied against thy own head: for the Angel of the Lord waiteth 
with a sword to cut thee in two, and to destroy you. With that all 
the assembly cried out with a loud voice, and they blessed God, who 
saveth them that trust in him. And they rose up against the two 
elders (for Daniel had convicted them of false witness by their own 
mauth) and they did to them as they had maliciously dealt against 
their neighbor, to fulfil the law of Moses: and they put them to 
death, and innocent blood was saved in that day. 



Explanation. 

The vile slander of these two miserable and shameless persons 
is here brought before us as a warning. Being unable to se- 
duce a young woman of rare virtue, they determined to ruin 
her by false accusation. But " whoever digs a grave for others, 
falls into it himself." Susanna and Joseph in Egypt are the 
two greatest examples of chastity to both the sexes. Susanna 
is particularly the model of the matrimonial fidelity which the 
wife owes the husband. It is better for me to fall into your 
hands, than to sin in the sight of the Lord. So she exclaimed, 
her eyes and her heart lifted up to God — for sin is a greater 
evil than death itself. Besides, men cannot save the sinner 
from the justice of God, while God can free the innocent from 
the violence of men. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 241 



Gospel. (John viii. 1-11.) 

At that time Jesus went unto mount Olivet. And early in the 
morning he caiee again into the temple, and all the people came to 
him, and sitting down he taught them. And the Scribes and Phari- 
sees bring unto him a woman taken in adultery; and they set her in 
the midst. And said to him : Master, this woman was even now 
taken in adultery. Now Moses in the law commanded us to stone 
such a one. But what sayest thou ? And this they said tempting 
him that they might accuse him. But Jesus bowing himself down, 
wrote with his finger on the ground: when therefore they continued 
asking him, he lifted up himself, and said to them: He that is without 
sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again stooping 
down, he wrote on the ground. But they hearing this went out one 
by one, beginning at the eldest. And Jesus alone remained, and the 
woman standing in the midst. Then Jesus lifting up himself, said to 
her : Woman, where are they that accused thee ? Hath no man con- 
demned thee? Who said : No man, Lord. And Jesus said: Neither 
will I condemn thee. Go, and now sin no more. 



Practice. 

The Pharisees, more loaded with sin than the woman who 
committed adultery, brought her to Jesus, whose meekness 
and mercy towards the sinner they well knew, in order to tempt 
him, and to see whether out of tenderness he would act against 
the strict letter of the law. But he showed them and saved 
her (for he had come to seek and to save that which was lost), 
the sinful but contrite woman, admonishing her never to sin 
again. 

What a difference between the chaste Susanna, the beautiful 
type of a pure soul, and this woman taken in adultery. God 
does not reject the sinner ready to do penance. Go, there- 
fore, to Jesus, the friend of the contrite sinner. Hast thou 
not avoided sin like Susanna, repent then like the woman who 
committed adultery ; watch thyself in future with more care, 
and behold the Lord will not condemn thee. 
11 



242 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Meditation. 

Simon of Cyrene carries the cross for the languid Saviour. 
Every sorrow, every suffering, is part of the cross of Christ. 
Oh, carry it willingly and patiently. 

Prayer over the People. 
Extend, O Lord, to thy faithful, the right hand of heavenly 
succor, that they may seek thee with their whole hearts, and 
deserve to obtain what they ask for worthily. Through our 
Lord. 



jFourtt) Smtban in £ent, called "£aetar*." 

The Introit of the Mass commences with the word loztare 
(rejoice), from which the Sunday derives its name. Pejoice, 

Jerusalem, and come together, all you that love her. Pejoice 
with joy, you that have been in sorrow, that you may exult and 
be filled from the breasts of your consolation (Isaias lxvi. 10). 

1 rejoiced at the things that were said to me: we shall go into 
the house of the Lord (Ps. cxxi.) Glory be to the Father. 

By the Introit and following epistle, the Church reminds us 
of the joys of heaven, to encourage us to persevering zeal in 
penance and fasting, and to patience under persecution, crosses, 
and sorrows. Our joy in heaven will be the greater the more 
we shall have suffered in this life, and the more we shall have 
brought the body under subjection to the soul. 

Prayer. 

Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who are 
afflicted for our deeds as we deserve, may be relieved by the 
comfort of thy grace. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Galatians iv. 22-31.) 

Brethren, it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a 
bond-woman, and the other by a free-woman. But he who was of 
the bond-woman, was born according to the flesh: but he of the 
free-woman, was by promise. Which things are said by an alle- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 213 

gory. For these are the two testaments. The one from Mount Sina, 
engendering unto bondage; which is Agar: For Sina is a mountain 
in Arabia, which hath affinity to that Jerusalem, which now is, and 
is in bondage with her children. But that Jerusalem, which is above, 
is free : which is our mother. For it is written : Eejoice, thou bar- 
ren, that bearest not: break forth and cr} T , thou that travailest not: 
for many are the children of the desolate, more than of ber that hath 
a husband: Now Ave, brethren, as 'Isaac was, are the children of 
promise. But as then he, that was born according to the flesh, per- 
secuted him that was after the spirit: so also it is now. But what 
saith the scripture? Cast out the bond-woman and her son; for the 
son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free- 
woman. So then, brethren, we are not the children of the bond- 
woman, but of the free: by the freedom wherewith Christ has madft 
us free. 

Explanation. 

The epistle mentions the two sons of Abraham, and their 
mothers, by whom St. Paul shows that God had prefigured a 
great mystery. The one of the sons, Ismael, was born to him 
by his bond-woman, Agar, according to the flesh, that is, in his 
best years, and according to nature ; but the other, Isaac, was 
born to him according to promise, by the free-woman, his wife 
Sara, in his old age and in a wonderful manner. They were 
types of the two Testaments, or double covenant which God 
made with man, and by which he bound them to the observ- 
ance of his law, promising therefor both temporal and eternal 
benefits. 

The first covenant, typified by Agar and her son, God made 
with the Jews, who served God like servants, under the yoke 
of hard laws, from fear of punishment, and for the hope of 
temporal rewards. The second covenant, typified by Sara and 
the son of promise, Isaac, God made with Christians, who, freed 
from the yoke of bondage, and the misery of sin, through 
Christ, do not tremble before him as servants, but lift up their 
hands to him as their father, and who, if they fulfil his will 
faithfully and thankfully, will not be hurt by the persecutions 
of their sensual brethren, but will become heirs of God through 
Christ, partakers of the glory of their Heavenly Father, and be 
filled witli the abundance of his house forever. 



244 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, I thank thee for the grace of having received me 
into thy holy Church ; grant me, I beseech thee, the further 
grace, that by fasting, prayer, and patience under persecutions 
and adversities, I may partake in thy sufferings and become so 
like unto thee that I may never be rejected by thee as a dis- 
obedient and sensual child, but be found worthy of thy divine 
promises, and thy eternal consolations in the heavenly Jerusa- 
lem. Amen. 

Gospel. (John vi. 1-15.) 

After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is that 
of Tiberias : and a great multitude followed him, because they saw 
the miracles which he did on them that were diseased. Jesus there- 
fore went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 
Now the pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand. When 
Jesus therefore had lifted up his eyes, and seen that a very great mul- 
titude cometh to him, he said to Philip: Whence shall we buy bread 
that these may eat? And tin's he said to try him, for he himself 
knew what he would do. Philip answered him : Two hundred penny- 
worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a 
little. One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, 
saith to him : There is a boy here that hath five barley loaves, and 
two fishes ; but what are these among so many ? Then Jesus said : 
Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. 
The men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand. And 
Jesus took the loaves : and when he had given thanks, he distributed 
to them that were sat down. In like manner also of the fishes as 
much as they would. And when they were filled, he said to his dis- 
ciples : Gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost. They 
gathered up therefore, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of 
the five barley loaves, which remained over and above to them that 
had eaten. So those men, Avhen they had seen what a miracle Jesus 
had done, said: This is of a troth the prophet that is to come into 
the world. Jesus therefore when he knew that they would come to 
take him by force and make him king, fled again into the mountain 
himself alone. 

Why did Christ thus try St. Philip? 

St. Augustine says: 1. Christ knew the infirmity of their 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 245 

faith, but he tried them in order that they also might perceive 
it, and to direct their attention to the miracle lie was about to 
perform. 2. He thereby taught all the faithful to make use 
first of natural and ordinary means, before we have recourse to 
the supernatural. 3. The miracle would be the more striking 
to the people, when they were satisfied that the provisions 
they had were quite small and insufficient. 4. We learn, hence, 
to have confidence in God who is a helper in due time of 
tribulation (Ps. ix. 10). 

What ceremonies did our Saviour use at this miracle, and 
why? 

According to St. Matthew (xiv. 19), he first looked up to 
heaven, in order to remind us that every good gift comes from 
above, and that it is God only who opens his hand, and fills 
all with benediction. 2. He thanked his Heavenly Father, to 
show us that we also should be careful to thank God for all 
his benefits. The table, says St. Chrysostom, which begins 
and ends with prayer, shall never know want. 3. He blessed 
the bread that we might learn thence that it is the blessing of 
God which gives success. 

Why did Jesus command to gather up the fragments ? 

1. That they might not be trodden under foot and lost. 
2. To show, by the multiplicity of the remnants, the greatness 
of the miracle. 3. To teach us to value the gifts of God, 
however small they appear to be, and to keep them for the 
poor. 

Why did Jesus flee after this miracle ? 

Because the people, through this miracle, knew him for the 
Messiah, and desired publicly to proclaim him king. But he 
had come to establish a spiritual, not a temporal kingdom. 
Hereby he teaches us, 1. To seek, in all our actions, not the 
admiration and applause of men, but only the glory of God, 
and the good of our neighbor. 2. To love solitude; that 
there, far from the noise of the world, we may with more free- 
dom converse with God. 



246 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Consolation in Poverty. 

To those poor who are devout, and who follow Christ, this 
gospel is full of consolation, in that even without entreaty, he 
is here seen to care for the people that followed him. Thus 
has God, from the very beginning of the world, shown care 
for his children. For the comfort and preservation of his 
chosen people, he sent Joseph before them into Egypt (Gen. 
xlv. 5 ; Ps. civ. 4). He sustained the children of Israel during 
forty years in the wilderness, with bread from heaven (Deut. 
viii.) He fed the Prophet Elias, sending him bread and flesh 
by a raven (3 Kings xviii. 6). He remembered Daniel lying 
in the lion's den (Dan. xiv. 37). God has also, in the New 
Testament, shown his care for his own by nourishing and feed- 
ing them in their greatest need, at one time through the in- 
strumentality of animals, at another by that of angels and of 
men, as authentic histories of the saints testify. David there- 
fore said with truth, I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his 
seed begging their bread (Ps. xxxvi. 25). That is, God forsakes 
none of those who serve him sincerely, who before all seek the 
kingdom of God and his justice (Luke xii. 31), and who have 
great confidence in God ; but they who do not thus, have little 
reason to expect any thing from him. As he cares with the 
love of a father for those who serve him, so he forsakes those 
who forsake him. Endeavor therefore to be a good child, and 
then you will have God always for your father. Cast thy care 
upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee (Ps. liv. 23). Many 
suffer because they put more confidence in men, or in them- 
selves, than they do in God. But it is not hence to be inferred 
that the just need not work for his support, for if any man 
will not work, neither let him eat (2 Thess. iii. 10). 

Aspiration. 

In thy omnipotence and benignity, O my God, I put my 
trust. I firmly believe if I fear thee, shun that which is evil, 
and do that which is right, I shall, though poor here, after this 
life, have abundance of good things from thee. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 247 

Instruction how to prepare ourselves for Easter. 
" Now the pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand." — John vi. 14. 

In order to prepare ourselves worthily for the approaching 
festival of Easter, on which we should arise with Christ, to 
a new, holy, and God-pleasing life, we must first avoid all 
lawful joys and pleasures, particularly gay company, and often 
withdraw into solitude, for when man is alone God speaks to 
his heart (Osee ii. JL4). 

2. When we have once chosen retirement, we shall be the 
more easily led to such meditation on our state before God, as 
will be to the sinner the beginning of conversion, and to the 
just, a means of advancing to higher perfection. We must 
often remember what Moses said to the Jews, in regard to the 
festival of the pasch. On this day is your reconciliation and 
purification from all sin. You will be purified before the 
Lord, and this is for you a sabbath of entire rest. We must 
therefore prepare ourselves by fasting, watching, and praying ; 
but the soul which is not prepared on that day, by works of 
penance, shall be destroyed from among the people. 3. We 
must, from this until Easter, fast with more and more strict- 
ness ; often, in the church, or in our own chamber, meditate 
upon the sufferings of Christ with sorrow, and with thanks- 
giving ; give alms to the poor, if we are able, or, if poor our- 
selves, bear our poverty with patience, offering it up to Jesus, 
our Lord, to be united to his poverty, hunger, and thirst. 
4. Finally, we must make a good confession, that we may cele- 
brate the feast of Easter not with the old leaven of malice and 
vv-kedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and 
truth — that is, with a pure heart (1 Cor. v. 8). 



fltonbcijL fouxtl) toeek in Cent. 

Introit of the Mass. Save me, God, by thy name, and 
in thy strength deliver me. God, hear my prayer, give ear 
to the icords of my mouth (Ps. liii.) For strangers have risen 
up against me, and the mighty have sought after my soul. 
Glory be to the Father. 



248 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Prayer. 

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that keeping with 
yearly devotion these sacred observances, we may please thee 
both in body and mind. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (3 Kings iii. 16-28.) 

In those days, there came two women that were harlots, to king 
Solomon, and stood before him : And one of them said : I beseech thee, 
my lord, I and this woman dwelt in one house, and I was delivered 
of a child with her in the chamber. And the third day, after that I 
was delivered, she also was delivered, and we were together, and no 
other person with us in the house, only we two. And this woman's 
child died in the night: for in her sleep she overlaid him. And rising 
in the dead time of the night, she took my child from my side, while 
I thy handmaid was asleep, and laid it in her bosom : and laid her 
dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give 
my child suck, behold it was dead : but considering him more dili- 
gently when it was clear day, I found that it was not mine which I 
bore. And the other woman answered : It is not so as thou sayest, 
but thy child is dead, and mine is alive. On the contrary, she said : 
Thou liest : for my child liveth, and thy child is dead. And in this 
manner they strove before the king. Then said the king : The one 
saith : My child is alive, and thy child is dead. And the other an- 
swereth: Nay, but thy child is dead, and mine liveth. The king 
therefore said : Bring me a sword. And when they had brought a 
sword before the king, divide, said he, the living child in two, and 
give half to the one, and half to the other. But the woman whose 
child was alive, said to the king (for her bowels were moved upon her 
child), I beseech thee, my lord, give her the child alive, and do not 
kill it. But the other said: Let it be neither mine nor thine, but 
divide it. The king answered, and said : Give the living child to this 
woman, and let it not be killed, for she is the mother thereof. And 
all Israel heard the judgment which the king had judged, and they 
feared the king, seeing that the wisdom of God was in him to do 
judgment. 

Explanation. 

We are taught by this ej)istle that all to whom God has in- 
trusted any office, should give judgment according to justice, 
and use the wisdom which they have received, according to 
his will, for the glory of God and the good of man. Spiritual 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 249 

pastors, princes, civil rulers, and fathers of families, should, 
like Solomon, ask God for a prudent and wise heart, if they 
would govern well. If superiors would have obedience from 
the people over whom God has placed them, they themselves 
should be foremost in obeying God. 

Gospel. (John ii. 13-25.) 

At that time : the pasch of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went 
up to Jerusalem. And he found in the temple them that sold oxen 
and sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting. And when 
he had made, as it were, a scourge of little cords, he drove them all 
out of the temple, the sheep also and the oxen, and the money of the 
changers he poured out, and the tables he overthrew. And to them 
that sold doves he said : Take these things hence, and make not the 
house of my Father a house of traffic. And his disciples remem- 
bered that it was written : The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up. 
The Jews therefore answered, and said to him : What sign dost thou 
show unto us, seeing thou dost these things? Jesus answered, and 
said to them : Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it 
up. The Jews then said: Six and forty years was this temple in 
building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days? But he spoke of 
the temple of his body. "When therefore he was risen again from the 
dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they be- 
lieved the scripture, and the word that Jesus had said. Now w T hen 
he was at Jerusalem at the pasch, upon the festival day, many be- 
lieved in his name, seeing his signs which he did. But Jesus did not 
trust himself unto them, for that he knew all men. And because he 
needed not that any should give testimony of man: for he knew 
what was in man. 

Practice. 
It was to promote the honor of God, to destroy sin, to 
purify and sanctify men, that Jesus had come into the world. 
Hence his zeal for the house of God, a type of the Church, 
which he cleansed with his blood. To demonstrate to the 
Jews his authority, he pointed them to his resurrection, which 
is the fullest evidence of his Godhead. But if that temple 
was thus the object of divine zeal, how much more must our 
churches, in which the God-man, who died and rose again for 
us, really and truly dwells in the Holy Sacrament of the altar? 
Adore, then, Jesus ; have devotion and veneration in the house 

10* 



250 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

of God ; banish worldly and sensual thoughts, and give your- 
self up entirely to Jesus. 

Meditation. 

Jesus willingly gives himself up to be crucified. Follow 
him, for in vain wouldst thou seek to throw off the cross. 

Prayer over the People. 
Mercifully hear our prayer, O Lord, we beseech thee, and 
to those to whom thou givest a mind to pray, grant the help 
of thy protection. Through our Lord. 



^uesbag. JFonrtl) toeek in Cent. 

Introit of the Mass. Hear, God, my prayer, and desjnse 
not my supplications ; be attentive to me and hear me (Ps. 
liv.) I am grieved in my exercise, and am troubled at the 
voice of the enemy, and the tribulation of the sinner. Glory 
be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

We beseech thee, O Lord, that the fasts of this holy observ- 
ance may procure us an increase of piety in our lives, and the 
continual help of thy mercy. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Exodus xxxii. 7-14.) 

In those days the Lord spoke to Moses, saying : Go, get thee down : 
thy people, which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, hath 
sinned. They have quickly strayed from the way which thou didst 
show them : and they have made to themselves a molten calf, and have 
adored it, and sacrificing victims to it, have said: These are thy gods, 
O Israel, that have brought thee out of the land of Egypt. And again 
the Lord said to Moses : I see that this people is stiff-necked : let me 
alone, that my wrath may be kindled against them, and that I may 
destroy them, and I will make of thee a great nation. But Moses 
besought the Lord his God, saying: Why, O Lord, is thy indignation 
enkindled against thy people, whom thou hast brought out of the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 251 

land of Egypt, with great power, and with a mighty hand? Let not 
the Egyptians say, I beseech thee: He craftily brought them out, that 
lie might kill them in the mountains, and destroy them from the earth : 
let thy anger cease, and be appeased upon the wickedness of thy 
people. Eemember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to 
whom thou sworest by thy ownself, saying: I will multiply your seed 
as the stars of heaven: and this whole land that I have spoken of, I 
will give to your seed, and you shall possess it forever. And the 
Lord was appeased from doing the evil which he had spoken against 
his people. 

Explanation. 

St. Ambrose admires, in this epistle, the meekness of Moses, 
who, forgetting all the dishonors done to him by the people of 
Israel, and refusing the offer of God, to make him the leader 
of another great nation, prays so devoutly for the ungrateful 
Israelites, that he thereby caused them to love him more for 
his meekness than they admired him for his extraordinary 
deeds. Do thou, also, O Christian, exercise this holy virtue, 
to which Jesus himself invites thee, in the words, Learn from 
me because I am meek / blessed are the meek, for they shall 
possess the earth, that is, they will win the hearts of their 
neighbors. 

Gospel. (John vii. 14 31.) 

At that time, about the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the 
temple, and taught. And the Jews wondered, saying : How doth 
this man know letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them 
and said : My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man 
will do the will of him : he shall know of the doctrine, whether it 
be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of him- 
self, seeketh his own glory : but he that seeketh the glory of him 
that sent him, he is true, and there is no injustice in him. Did not 
Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? "Why 
seek you to kill me? The multitude answered, and said: Thou 
hast a devil; who seeketh to kill thee? Jesus answered and said to 
them: One work I have done ; and you all wonder: therefore Moses 
gave you circumcision (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers); 
and on the Sabbath-day you circumcise a man. If a man receive 
circumcision on the Sabbath-day, that the law of Moses may not be 



252 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

broken ; are you angry at me because I have healed the whole man 
on the Sabbath-day ? Judge not according to the appearance, but 
judge just judgment. Some therefore of Jerusalem said : Is not this 
he whom they seek to kill? And behold he speaketh openly, and 
they say nothing to him. Have the rulers known for a truth that 
this is the Christ? But we know this man whence he is: but when 
the Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. Jesus therefore 
cried out in the temple, teaching and saying: You both know me, 
and you know whence I am: and I am not come of myself; but he 
that sent me, is true, whom you know not. I know him, because I 
am from him, and he hath sent me. They sought therefore to appre- 
hend him : and no man laid hands on him because his hour was not 
yet come. But of the people many believed in him. 

Practice. 

Jesus declared distinctly to the Jews, that he was the Mes- 
siah sent from God, and that his teaching was divine. But 
they believed not : he confirmed it by miracles, and they sought 
to stone him. Learn by this how far man can be carried away 
by blindness and prejudice, and escape these sins by thorough 
instruction and docility towards grace. Follow the few and 
keep close to Jesus. But above all, take for the pattern of thy 
conduct, Jesus teaching his most furious enemies with invinci- 
ble meekness. 

Meditation. 

Jesus is stripped of his garments. Oh, what suffering ! He 
bears it for thy sake. Learn to renounce the vanities of the 
world, and to deny thyself for Christ's sake. 

Prayer over the People. 

Have mercy, O Lord, on thy people, and mercifully grant 
them relief, who labor under continual tribulations. Through 
Christ. 



fcOebnesban. iTourtl) toeek in Cent. 

Introit of the Mass. Whgn J shall be sanctified in you I will 
gather you from every haul, and I will pour upon you clean 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 253 

water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filthi nes is, and I 
will give you a new spirit (Ezech. xxxvi.) I will bless the 
Lord at all times ; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. 
Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 
O God, who grantest to the just the reward of their merits, 
and to sinners pardon, by means of fasting, have mercy on thy 
supplicants, that the confession of our guilt may enable us to 
receive the forgiveness of our sins. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Isaias i. 16-19.) 

Thus saith the Lord God : Wash yourselves, be clean, take away 
the evil of your devices from ray eyes : cease to do perversely, learn 
to do well: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the father- 
less, defend the widow. And then come, and accuse me, saith the 
Lord : if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow : 
and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool. If you 
be willing, and will hearken to me, you shall eat the good things of 
the land, saith the Lord Almighty. 

Explanation. 

Wash yourselves, be clean. When the wicked man lifts up 
his hand to heaven, he is described as a murderer stretching 
forth to God, hands stained with blood. 

And then come and accuse me. It shall be proved that 
for your sins you deserved severe punishment, and yet how- 
ever great and numerous your sins may be, I shall be ready to 
forgive them and remit the penalty of them if you show con- 
trition, and not only depart from sin, but also do that which is 
good. The sins of the Jews were compared with scarlet and* 
crimson on account of the murders they committed and the 
blood unjustly shed by them. Snow and white wool are em- 
blems of innocence. 

In the early ages of Christianity the sacrament of baptism 
was administered on this day. Nothing explains better the 
wonderful effects of baptism than these similitudes just 
mentioned. 



I 
254 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Gospel. (John ix. 1-38.) 

At that time: Jesus passing by, saw a man who was blind from 
his birth : and his disciples asked him : Rabbi, who hath sinned, this 
man or his parents, that he should be born blind? Jesus answered: 
Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents ; but that the works of 
God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him 
that sent me, while it is day : the night cometh when no man can 
work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 
When he had said these things, he spat on the ground, and made clay 
of the spittle, and spread the clay upon his eyes, and said to him : Go, 
wash in the pool of Siloe, which is interpreted, Sent. He went 
therefore, and washed, and he came seeing. The neighbors therefore, 
and they who had seen him before that he was a beggar, said: Is not 
this he that sat, and begged? Some said: This is he. But others 
said: No, but he is like him. But he said: I am he. They said 
therefore to him : How were thy eyes opened ? He answered : That 
man that is called Jesus, made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said 
to me : Go to the pool of Siloe, and wash. And I went, I washed, 
and I-see. And they said to him: Where is he? He saith, I know 
not. They bring him that had been blind to the Pharisees. Now it 
was the sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 
Again therefore the Pharisees asked him how he had received his 
sight. But he said to them : He put clay upon my eyes, and I washed, 
and I see. Some therefore of the Pharisees said : This man is not of 
God, who keepeth not the sabbath. But others said: How can a 
man that is a sinner do such miracles ? And there was a division 
among them. They say therefore to the blind man again: What 
sayest thou of him that hath opened thy eyes ? And he said : He is 
a prophet. The Jews then did not believe concerning him, that he 
had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the 
parents of him that had received his sight, and asked them, saying: 
Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then doth he 
now see ? His parents answered them, and said : We know that this 
is our son, and that he was born blind; but how he now seeth, we 
know not: or ivho hath opened his eyes, we know not: ask himself; 
he is of age, let him speak for himself. These things his parents said, 
because they feared the Jews : for the Jews had already agreed 
among themselves, that if any man should confess him to be Christ, 
he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore did his parents 
say: He is of age, ask him. They therefore called the man again 
that had been blind, and said to him: Give glory to God. We know 
that this mail is a sinner, lie said therefore to them: If he be a sin- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 255 

ner, I know not: one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I 
see. They said then to him : What did he to thee ? How did he 
open thy eyes ? He answered them : I have told you already, and 
yon have heard : why would you hear it again? will you also become 
his disciples? They reviled him therefore, and said: Be thou his dis- 
ciple; but we are the disciples of Moses. "We know that God spoke 
to Moses : but as to this man, we know not from whence he is. The 
man answered, and said to them: Why, herein is a wonderful thing 
that you know not from whence he is, and he hath opened my eyes. 
Now we know that God doth not hear sinners : but if a man be a 
server of God, and doth his will, him he heareth. From the begin- 
ning of the world it hath not been heard, that any man hath opened 
the eyes of one born blind. Unless this man were of God he could 
not do any thing. They answered and said to him : Thou wast 
wholly born in sins, and dost thou teach us ? And they cast him out. 
Jesus heard that they had cast him out : and when he had found him, 
he said to him : Dost thou believe in the Son of God? He answered, 
and said: Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him? And Jesus 
said to him : Thou hast both seen him ; and it is he that talketh with 
thee. And he said : I believe, Lord. And falling down he adored him. 

Practice. 

How full of instruction is this gospel! 1. Jesus gave sight 
to a man who was blind from his birth, that God might be 
glorified. Thus, this affliction of many years served, at the 
same time, to reveal the Godhead of Jesus Christ, and to open 
the eyes of the blind man's soul to belief in him. Suffer, 
therefore, patiently ; that if adversities befall you, God may 
be glorified in you : and beware of believing every suffering 
a punishment. 2. Jesus, in the act of healing, spat on 
the ground, and mixed clay of the spittle. 3. This was a 
striking and significant sio;n of an inward healing and creating 
power; and a figure of the Holy Sacraments. Use them, 
therefore, that thy blindness may be healed by the invisible 
grace, under the visible signs. 4. The blind, after having re- 
ceived his sight, confesses, openly and freely, the truth, and 
cannot be deterred from so doing by persecution, or even by 
being expelled from the synagogue. Learn from him to be 
steadfast to the teachings of thy holy religion; show thyself, 
as thou art, a faithful subject of the Catholic Church, and feai 



256 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

not the weapons of the wicked, who oppose to heaven only 
stubbornness, calumny, and persecution. 

Meditation. 

Jesus is nailed to the cross. Oh, what pain ! He laments 
not ! Suffer also, O Christian, in silence, with firmness. 

Prayer over the People. 
Let the ears of thy mercy, O Lord, be open to the prayers 
of thy suppliants, and that thou mayest grant what thy 
petitioners desire, make them ask what is pleasing to thee. 
Through our Lord. 



®l}ursbat). lonxli) tOeek in £ent. 

Introit of the Mass. Let the heart of those rejoice, that seek 
the Lord. Seek the Lord and be strengthened, seek his face 
evermore (Ps. civ.) Give glory to the Lord, and call upon his 
name, declare his deeds among the Gentiles. Glory be to 
the Father. 

Prayer of the Church. 

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we who are 
chastised by the fasts we have undertaken, may rejoice with 
holy devotion ; that our affections being weakened, we may 
more easily apprehend heavenly things. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (4 Kings iv. 25-38.) 

In those days, a Sunamite woman came to the man of God to mount 
Carinel : and when the man of God saw her coming towards, he said 
to Giezi his servant: Behold that Sunamitess. Go therefore to meet 
her, and say to her: Is all well with thee, and with thy husband, and 
with thy son? And she answ r ered : Well. And when she came to 
the man of God to the mount, she caught hold on his feet: and Giezi 
came to remove her. And the man of God said: Let her alone, for 
her soul is in anguish, and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath 
not told me. And she said to him ; Did I ask a son of my lord? did 
I not say to thee : Do not deceive me? Then he said to Giezi : Gird 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 257 

up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go. If any man meet 
thee, salute him not: and if any man salute thee, answer him not: 
and lay my staff upon the face of the child. But the mother of the 
child said : As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave 
thee. He arose, therefore, and followed her. But Giezi was gone be- 
fore them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child, and there was 
no voice nor sense : and he returned to meet him, and told him, say- 
ing : The child is not risen. Eliseus therefore went into the house, 
and behold the child lay dead on his bed; and going in he shut the 
door upon him, and upon the child, and prayed to the Lord. And he 
went up, and lay upon the child : and he put his mouth upon his 
mouth, and his eyes upon his e} T es, and his hands upon his hands : and 
he bowed himself upon him, and the child's flesh grew warm. Then 
he returned and walked in the house, once to and fro: and he went 
up, and lay upon him : and the child gaped seven times, and opened 
his eyes. And he called Giezi, and said to him : Call this Sunamitess. 
And she being called went in to him : and he said : Take up thy son. 
She came and fell at his feet, and worshipped upon the ground : and 
took up her son, and went out. And Eliseus returned to Galgal. 

Explanation. 

The Sunamite woman had shown hospitality to the prophet 
Eliseus, for which God rewarded her by giving her a son. 
Thus was fulfilled what Jesus said, He that receiveth a prophet 
in the name of a prophet, shall receive the reward of a prophet 
(Matt. x. 41). To obtain the resurrection of her son from the 
dead, she added to the merit of her mercy that of her prayers 
and tears. As soon as a child is taken sick, the parents, leav- 
ing all other affairs, should apply themselves to the restoration 
of its health, praying to God to add his blessing to the medi- 
cines of the physician. When children have died, by having 
committed sin, to obtain their resurrection, the parents should 
have recourse to prayers, tears, and good works. If St. Monica 
had not wept for the conversion of her son, St. Augustine, 
recommending his salvation to the prayers of all the servants of 
God whom she knew, she would never have obtained the ac- 
complishment of those words which the holy bishop, St. Am- 
brose, addressed to her : " A son for whom so many tears have 
been shed, cannot be lost." 



258 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Gospel. (Luke vii. 11-16.) 

At that time Jesus went into a city that is called Nairn ; and there 
went with him his disciples, and a great multitude. And when he 
came nigh to the gate of the city, behold a dead man was carried out, 
the only son of his mother ; and she was a widow : and a great mul- 
titude of the city was with her. Whom when the Lord had seen, be- 
ing moved with mercy towards her, he said to her : Weep not. And 
he came near, and touched the bier. And they that carried it, stood 
still. And he said : Young man, I say to thee, arise. And he that 
was dead, sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his 
mother. And there came a fear on them all : and they glorified God, 
saying, A great prophet is risen up among us : and, God hath visited 
his people. 

Practice. 

Jesus commands, and the dead arises. Is he not the Lord 
of life ? Confide to him, therefore, your life, and all the events 
of it. Jesus has compassion on the widow. You, O Christian, 
are his disciple, follow him. Yes, O Jesus, I will follow thee, 
and be glad, after thy example, to do good according to my 
ability. Direct me, according to thy most holy will. 

Meditation. 

Jesus is lifted up on the cross. All his limbs were dislocated. 
What suffering ! O Jesus, crucified love, draw me up to thee, 
that I may become and remain one with thee. 

Prayer over the People. 

O God, Creator and Ruler of thy people, drive away thesms 
by which they are assaulted, that they may become pleasing to 
thee, and secure thy protection. Through our Lord. 



iFriban. Jonrtl) tocek in Cent. 

Introit of the Mass. The meditation of my heart is always 
in thy sight, Lord, my helper and redeemer (Ps. xviii.) The 
heavens show forth the glory of God, and the firmament de- 
clareth the work of his hands. Glory be to the Father. 



THE EPISTLES AST) GOSPELS. 259 

Prayer. 

God, who renewest the world by unspeakable mysteries, 
grant, we beseech thee, that thy church may profit by thy 
eternal institutions, and not be deprived of thy temporal assist- 
ance. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (3 Kings xvii. 17-24.) 

In those days the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell 
sick, and the sickness was very grievous, so that there was no breath 
left in him. And she said to Elias : "What have I to do with thee, 
thou man of God? art thou come to me that my iniquities should be 
remembered, and that thou shouldst kill my son ? And Elias said to 
her : Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and car- 
ried him into the upper chamber where he abode, and laid him upon 
his own bed. And he cried to the Lord, and said : Lord my God, 
hast thou afflicted also the widow, with whom I am after a sort main- 
tained, so as to kill her son ? And he stretched, and measured him- 
self upon the child three times, and cried to the Lord, and said : O 
Lord my God, let the soul of this child, I beseech thee, return into his 
body. And the Lord heard the voice of Elias : and the soul of the 
child returned into him, and he revived. And Elias took the child, 
and brought him down from the upper chamber to the house below, 
and delivered him to his mother, and said to her : Behold thy son 
liveth. And the woman said to Elias: Xow, by this I know that 
thou art a man of God, and the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true. 

Explanation. 

TVe can make the same meditation on this epistle as on that 
of yesterday. In both we see how the hospitality shown to 
the servants of God is rewarded with the greatest miracles. 
The Eternal Truth, therefore, says, Give, and it shall be given 
to you. We observe, further, how the two prophets, both 
stretched and measured themselves upon the children whom 
they restored to life. Thus also did St. Paul, when he brought 
back to life the young man Eutyches, who had fallen down 
from a high window. In like manner, according to the testi- 
mony of St. Gregory, did St. Benedict when he restored a 
child to life. The mystery of this action points to the Incar- 
nation of Jesus Christ, who took a body like ours, in order to 



260 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

impart life to our souls, which were dead through sin, and to 
make our bodies like his in glory and majesty. Jesus Christ, 
therefore, being the reality to which these figures referred, 
does not observe such formalities. As Lord, he commands, 
and the dead arise. 

The prophets stretched themselves upon the children several 
times, whereby we learn to be persevering in prayer. 

Gospel. (John xi. 1—45.) 

At that time there was a certain man sick named Lazarus, of Beth- 
ania, of the town of Mary and of Martha her sister. (And Mary was 
she that anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her 
hair: whose brother Lazarus was sick.) His sisters therefore sent to 
him, saying : Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. And Jesus 
hearing it, said to them: This sickness is not unto death, but for the 
glory of God : that the son of God may be glorified by it. Now Jesus 
loved Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus. When he had heard 
therefore that he was sick, he still remained in the same place two 
days: then after that he said to his disciples: Let us go into Judea 
again. The disciples say to him : Rabbi, the Jews but now sought to 
stone thee : and goest thou thither again ? Jesus answered : Are 
there not twelve hours of the day? If a man walk in the day, he 
stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world : but if he walk 
in the night he stumbleth, because the light is not in hirn. These 
things he said; and after that he said to them: Lazarus our friend 
sleepeth : but I go that I may awake him out of sleep. His disciples 
therefore said : Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. But Jesus spoke 
of his death ; and they thought that he spoke of the repose of sleep. 
Then therefore Jesus said to them plainly : Lazarus is dead ; and I am 
glad for your sakes, that I was not there, that you may believe : but 
let us go to him. Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to 
his fellow-disciples : Let us also go, that we may die with him. Jesus 
therefore came and found that he had been four days already in the 
grave. (Now Bethania was near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs 
off.) And many of the Jews were come to Martha and Mary, to com- 
fort them concerning their brother. Martha therefore, as soon as she 
heard that Jesus was come, went to meet him ; but Mary sat at home. 
Martha therefore said to Jesus : Lord, if thou hadst been here, my 
brother hath not died. But now also I know that whatsoever thou 
wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith to her: Thy 
brother . shall rise again;. Martha saith to him: I know that he shall 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 261 

rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her : I am 
the resurrection and the life : he that believeth in me although he be 
dead, shall live : and every one that liveth and believeth in me, shall 
not die forever. Believest thou this ? She saith to him : Yea, Lord, 
I have believed that thou art Christ the Son of the living God, who 
art come into this world. And when she had said these things, she 
went, and called her sister Mary secretly, saying : The master is come 
and calleth for thee. She, as soon as she heard this, riseth quickly 
and cometh to him. For Jesus was not yet come into the town : but 
he was still in that place where Martha had met him. The Jews 
therefore, who were with her in the house and comforted her, when 
they saw Mary that she rose up speedily and went out, followed her, 
saying : She goeth to the grave, to weep there. When Mary therefore 
was come where Jesus was, seeing him she fell down at his feet, and 
saith to him : Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 
Jesus therefore, when he saw her weeping, and the Jews that were 
come with her, weeping, groaned in the spirit, and troubled himself, 
and said : Where have you laid him ? They say to him : Lord, come 
and see. And Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said : Behold how 
he loved him. But some of them said : Could not he that opened the 
eyes of the man born blind, have caused that this man should not die? 
Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the sepulchre: 
now it was a cave ; and a stone was laid over it. Jesus saith : Take 
away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith to 
him : Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he is now of four days. 
Jesus saith to her : Did not I say to thee, that if thou wilt believe, 
thou shalt see the glory of God ? They took therefore the stone away. 
And Jesus lifting up his eyes said : Father, I give thee thanks that 
thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou nearest me always, but 
because of the people who stand about have I said it : that they may 
believe that thou hast sent me. When he had said these things, he 
cried with a loud voice : Lazarus, come forth. And presently he that 
had been dead came forth, bound feet and hands with winding-bands, 
and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said to them : 
Loose him and let him go. Many therefore of the .Jews who were 
come to Mary and Martha, and had seen the things that Jesus did, be- 
lieved in him. 

Practice. 

Jesus restores to life Lazarus, whose sickness and death he 
had known beforehand. Behold the all-knowing God, Lord of 
life and death. Adore him, and seek assistance from him in 



262 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

your spiritual and temporal need. The sisters address to him 
prayers, short, indeed, but full of faith. Thy brother shall rise 
again, said Jesus, and he arose. " You also will have his as- 
sistance. You will be saved from the death of the soul, you 
shall one day rise again," teaches the Son of God. Believe his 
teaching. But as with you, so with all. All men shall rise 
again, and, therefore, your friends who have gone before you 
to death. Be comforted, then, and hope with joyful confidence. 

Meditation. 

Jesus is crucified between two thieves. What disgrace! 
And you are vain, proud, and ambitious, while the King of 
glory is humbled for thy pride. 

Grayer over the People. 

Grant us, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who, 
conscious of our weakness, confide in thy power, may ever re- 
joice under thy merciful protection. Through Christ. 



Satttrbaj). Jourtl) toeek in %tni. 

Introit of the Mass. Ton that thirst, come to the waters, 
saith the Lord, and you that have no money come and drink 
with joy (Isaias lv.) Attend, my people, to my law / in- 
dine your ears to the words of my mouth (Ps. lxxix.) Glory 
be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

May the affection of our devotion be made fruitful to us by 
thy grace, we beseech thee, O Lord, for then will the fasts we 
have undertaken become profitable to us, if they are pleasing 
to thy mercy. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Isaias xlix. 8-15.) 

Thus saith the Lord : In an acceptable time I have heard thee, and 
in the day of salvation I have helped thee: and I have preserved 
thee, and given thee to be a covenant of the people, that thou might- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. . 263 

est raise up the earth, and possess the inheritances that were de- 
stroyed : that thou inightest say to them that are bound : Come forth : 
and to them that are in darkness: Show yourselves. They shall feed 
in the ways, and their pastures shall be in every plain. They shall 
not hunger, nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun strike them: 
for he that is merciful to them, shall be their shepherd, and at the 
fountains of waters he shall give them drink. And I will make all 
my mountains a way, and my paths shall be exalted. Behold these 
shall come from afar, and behold these from the north and from the 
sea, and these from the south country. Give praise, ye heavens, and 
rejoice, earth ; ye mountains, give praise with jubilation : because 
the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy on his poor 
ones. And Sion said : The Lord hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath 
forgotten me. Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity 
on the son of her womb? and if she should forget, yet will not I 
forget thee, saith the Lord Almighty. 

Explanation. 

This prophecy refers to the deliverance from the captivity 
in Babylon, and also to the redemption by Christ. He is the 
mediator of the new law, appointed by God to restore the 
desolated world, to obtain the spiritual inheritance of the chil- 
dren of God, and to give it those whom he has set free from 
the pow r er of satan and the bondage of sin and error. Those 
who return from foreign lands shall want nothing on their 
way : the new believers shall find everywhere spiritual food, 
the bread of life ; no misfortune, no evil shall hurt them ; he 
that is merciful to them shall open to them the fountain of his 
grace in the Holy Sacraments. He shall remove all obstacles 
to their salvation, and they shall praise him for their deliver- 
ance. Come forth, ye prisoners, and come to the light of faith, 
and unite yourselves with those who return to the Lord with 
contrite hearts, and are enlightened by his light. He will re- 
ceive you, for his mercy is from generation to generation upon 
all who fear him. 

Gospel (John viii. 12-20.) 

At that time: Jesus spoke to the multitudes of the Jews, saying: I 
am the light of the world : he that followeth me, walketh not in 
darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore 



264 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

said to him: Thou gi vest testimony of thyself: thy testimony is not 
true. Je^us answered, and said to them : Although I give testimony 
of myself, my testimony is true: for I know whence I came, and 
whither I go : but you know not whence I come, or whither I go. 
You judge according to the flesh : I judge not any man. And if I do 
judge, my judgment is true; because I am not alone, but I and the 
Father that sent me. And in your law it is written, that the testi- 
mony of two men is true. I am one that give testimony of myself: 
and the Father that sent me, giveth testimony of me. They said 
therefore to him: Where is thy Father? Jesus answered: Neither 
me do you know, nor my Father: if you did know me, perhaps you 
would know my Father also. These words Jesus spoke in the treas- 
ury, teaching in the temple: and no man laid hands on him, because 
his hour was not yet come. 

Practice. 

Jesus calls himself the light of the world, and shows it by 
his works and the testimony of his Father ; but the Jews be- 
lieved not. Is it not always so? Is not the evidence that 
Jesus is the light of the world more than eighteen hundred 
years old, and proved true by all history? But the moles 
work under ground, avoiding the light and hating it. What 
will become of them? O Christian, remember Jesus is the 
light: out of him there is nothing but darkness. Would you 
have light ? Come, then, to him, and be enlightened : come 
and live as a child of the light, in chastity, temperance, pa- 
tience, and meekness. 

Meditation. 

Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. This is the inscrip- 
tion on the cross. Yes, he is the true King and Lord, the Re- 
deemer from sin, death, and hell. I adore thee, O Jesus, and 
devote to thee my whole heart. 

Prayer over the People. 

O God, who choosest rather to have mercy than to be angry 
with those who hope in thee, grant us worthily to lament the 
evils we have done, that we may deserve to find the grace 
of thv consolation. Through Christ. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 2G5 

iFiftlj Sunbat) in tent; callcb Subica. 

From this Sunday, the Church gives herself up entirely to 
meditation on the passion of Jesus, in order thereby to move 
us to participate in the same, and to complete our penance, 
since Christ endured his sufferings for our sake. This Sunday 
is therefore called Passion Sunday. To that, all the ceremo- 
nies of the Church point. To-day the crucifixes are covered, 
in remembrance that from this time until his entrance into 
Jerusalem, Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews 
(John xi. 54.) From to-day, the Gloria Patri (Glory be to the 
Father) is omitted in the Mass, because in the person of Jesus 
Christ, the Most Holy Trinity was dishonored. To-day, finally, 
the Church places before us, in Jesus Christ, the innocent and 
unstained High-Priest, and from the contemplation of him, in- 
cites us to more earnest penance ; on which account she says, 
at the Introit of the Mass, in the name of the suffering Jesus, 
the words of the Psalmist (xlii.) : Judge me, Lord, and dis- 
tinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy; deliver 
me from the unjust and deceitful man, for thou art God, and 
my strength (Ps. lxii.) Send forth thy light and thy truth, 
they have conducted me and brought me unto thy holy hill, 
and into thy tabernacles. Judge me. 

Prayer. 

We beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully look upon thy 
family, that by thy bounty it may be governed in body, and 
by thy preservation be kept in mind. Through Christ. 

Prayer for the Church. 

We beseech thee, O Lord, in thy clemency admit the prayers 
of thy Church, that all errors and adversities being destroyed, 
she may serve thee with secure liberty. Through our Lord. 

Prayer for the Pope. 
O God, the pastor and ruler of all the faithful, mercifully re- 
gard thy servant N. whom thou hast pleased should preside as 
12 if- 



266 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

pastor over thy Church ; grant him, we beseech thee, to benefit 
those over whom he is placed, by word and example, that with 
the flock intrusted to him, he may arrive at everlasting life. 
Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Heb. ix. 11-15.) 

Brethren, Christ, being come an high-priest of the good things to 
come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hand, 
that is, not of this creation: Neither by the blood of goats, or of 
calves, but by his own blood, entered once into the Holies, having ob- 
tained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and of oxen, 
and the ashes of an heifer being sprinkled, sanctify such as are defiled, 
to the cleansing of the flesh : How much more shall the blood of 
Christ, who by the Holy Ghost offered himself unspotted unto God, 
cleanse our conscience from dead works, to serve the living God? 
And therefore he is the mediator of the new testament: that by 
means of his death, for the redemption of those transgressions, which 
were under the former testament, they that are called may receive 
the promise of eternal inheritance, in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 

Explanation. 

St. Paul teaches us in this epistle, that Jesus Christ, the 
high-priest, forever, of the New Testament, has given full 
satisfaction for the sins of men, and opened to all the entrance 
into the sanctuary. Every thing now depends upon a man's 
participation in this eternal redemption, by virtue of sharing 
in the sufferings of Christ, by combating, and by denying him- 
self, as the holy Paul teaches in another place (Gal. i. 24). 
The Church proposes this epistle to us, in order that we may 
meditate on the passion and death of Christ, thank God for 
the great mercy of the redemption, love and praise him, and 
be encouraged to share in his sufferings, by fasting, prayer, 
and penitential works. 

Aspiration. 

Give us thy grace, O meekest Jesus, that by true sorrow for 
our sins, and by the practice of good works, we may become 
partakers of thy bitter sufferings, and obtain the promised in- 
heritance of eternal life. Amen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 267 

Gospel. (John viii. 46-59.) 

At that time Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews: Which of 
you shall convince me of sin? If I say the truth to you, why do 
you not believe me? He that is of God, heareth the words of God. 
Therefore you hear them not because you are not of God. The Jews 
therefore answered, and said to him : Do not we say well that thou 
art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered: I have not a 
devil: but I honor my Father, and you have dishonored me. But I 
seek not my own glory : there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 
Amen, amen, I say to you : If any man keep my word, he shall not 
see death forever. The Jews therefore said : Now we know that 
thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou 
sayest : If any man keep my word, he shall not taste death forever. 
Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? and the 
prophets are dead. Whom dost thou make thyself? Jesus answered : 
If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father that glori- 
fieth me, of whom you say that he is your God. And you have not 
known him, but I know him. And if I shall say that I know him 
not, I shall be like to y.ou, a liar. But I do know him, and do keep 
his word. Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day : 
he saw it, and was glad. The Jews therefore said to him : Thou art 
not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said to 
them : Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am. 
They took up stones therefore to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself, 
and went out of the temple. 

Why did Jesus ask the Jews, which of you shall convince 
me of sin f 

1 . To show them how unjustly and maliciously they conducted 
themselves towards him, in not believing on him, although his 
life was stainless, and there was the best evidence of the truth 
of his teaching. 2. To show that he, being free from all sin, 
was more than mere man — that he was the Messias, and the 
Son of God, as he had often told the Jews, particularly in this 
gospel, and as he had proved by manifest miracles. 3. That 
we might learn, when admonishing and correcting others, to 
strive to be irreproachable ourselves. 

Why does Jesus add, he that is of God heareth God's 
words f 

To point out to the Jews the real cause of their stubborn 



268 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

unbelief, and its consequences. For had they truly been of 
God, that is, had they known God and his revelation, and 
served him with zeal, they would also have heard and received 
the teachings of Jesus, as the divine word ; since every thing 
went to show their origin from God. He has also given us 
herein a test of our dispositions. He that is of God hears and 
loves that which is Godlike ; he that is not of God, but sensual, 
worldly, and vain, will despise it. When, therefore, we gladly 
hear the word of God, read good books, visit the Church with 
pleasure, and strive with zeal to do what we have heard and 
read, we testify thereby that we are the children of God. On 
the contrary, when we shun the word of God, and the Church, 
when we love bad company and bad books, are careless as to 
meditation and good works, how can we then flatter ourselves 
that we belong to God ? must we not rather fear a punishment 
like that of the Jews ? 

How did the Jews receive these words ? 

With indignation. Instead of reflecting upon them, they 
poured out their offended pride and abuse, and called him a 
Samaritan, and one having a devil. The same thing happens 
continually. Instead of listening to the truth, the proud man an- 
swers with calumny and contempt. Is that a sign of a Christian ? 

How and why did Jesus defend himself against the abuse of 
the Jews ? 

Jesus defended himself simply by repelling their insults, and 
by proving, from his deeds, that he told them the truth, and 
that he honored his Father in truth, in that he sought not his 
own, but his Father's honor. The objection in regard to his 
youth, he answered by saying that he had been before Abraham. 
In repelling these insults, while he bore so many others in si- 
lence, he took away all reason for doubt in regard to his divine 
mission, and the truth of his teaching. Thereby he teaches us, 
also, to defend ourselves with calmness and modesty against 
slander and insults, when they would be injurious to the honor 
of God, and hinder the salvation of man ; but when our own 
good name only is likely to suffer, we should leave the defence 
of it, as Christ himself did, to God, who knows better than we 
how to defend it, and how to obtain our rights for us. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 260 

How did Abraham see the day of Jesus Christ? 

In spirit ; that is, 1. By divine revelation he foresaw the ad- 
vent of Christ, as plainly as if it had happened in his own time. 
2. Besides, the actual coming of Christ was made known to 
him while detained in Limbo. We, too, have had the good 
fortune to know Jesns before others ; let us rejoice thereat, 
and follow his footsteps. 

Why did the Jews attempt to stone Jesus ? 

Because he called himself the Son of God, and confirmed it 
by the words, before Abraham was, I am. In their blind- 
ness, they mistook this for blasphemy, and were -about to stone 
him according to the law. Are not these Jews types of the 
unbelievers who reject whatever they cannot comprehend ? 

Why did Jesus hide himself from the Jews, and not rather 
take vengeance on them ? 

He hid himself, 1. Because the hour of his suffering and 
death had not yet come. 2. To show his patience and meek- 
ness, and to teach us to forgive and avoid our enemies, rather 
than to oppose and take revenge on them. 3. To signify to 
the Jews that, on account of their stubbornness, he would 
leave them and turn to the Gentiles, as, according to his ex- 
ample, the Apostles afterwards did. 4. To give us a twofold 
warning and instruction ; to guard against unbelief and blind- 
ness of heart, lest it should happen to us as to the Jews ; and 
to avoid contentious and quarrelsome persons, for it is an 
honor for a man to separate from quarrels, but all fools are 
meddling with reproaches (Pro v. xx. 3). 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus most meek, who didst calmly repel the insults of 
thy enemies, whom thou didst avoid Avhen about to stone thee, 
forgive us who will not bear a rough word, or yield in any thing 
to our neighbor, or take patiently an insult, but are always 
burning to avenge ourselves. Pardon this impatience and 
anger of ours, and grant us thy grace, to bear all insults with 
patience in satisfaction for our sins, and to repel them with 
modesty only when thy honor, or the good of our neighbor 
requires it. 



270 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Consolation under Insults. 

When Christ tells the truth to the Jews, he gains the reward 
of abuse and insults. This fact contains a treasure of consola- 
tion for those who are insulted when innocent. For as disci- 
ples they thereby become in one respect more like their Lord 
and Master. Therefore, says St. Augustine, O friend, what 
insult can be given to you, which your Saviour did not suffer 
before you ? Is it calumny ? He heard it, when he was at 
one time called a glutton and a drunkard, at another, a heretic 
and a rebel, again, a friend and associate of sinners, and one 
who had a devil : he even must hear that he cast out devils by 
Beelzebub, prince of devils (Matt. ix. 34). He, therefore, 
comforts his disciples with the words, If they have called the 
good man of the house, Beelzebub, how much more them of his 
household? (Matt. x. 25.) Do bitter sorrows befall you ? 
There is no sorrow so bitter that he has not borne it, for what 
was more painful and grievous than the death of the cross ? 
Therefore St. Paul says, Christians, thtink diligently upon him 
that endured such opposition from sinners against himself 
that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds, at contempt 
and insult (Heb. xii. 3). 

Meditation. 

Jesus on the cross is mocked by the Jews. Take courage, 
virtuous Christian, when in your suffering men mock at you, 
for so did they also to thy Master. 



illonban. Passion toeck. 

Introit of the Mass. Have mercy on me, Lord, for man 
hath trodden me under foot / all day long he hath afflicted me, 
fighting against me (Ps. lv.) My enemies have trodden on me 
all the day long, for they are many, that make war against 
rue. Have mercy. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 271 

Prayer. 

Sanctify our fasts, we beseech thee, O Lord, and mercifully 
grant us the pardon of all our faults. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Jonas iii. 1 10.) 

In those days the word of the Lord came to Jonas the prophet the sec- 
ond time, saying: Arise, and go to Ninive the great city: and preach 
in it the preaching that I bid thee. And Jonas arose, and went to !N"in- 
ive, according to the word of the Lord : now Nmive was a great city of 
three days' journey. And Jonas began to enter into the city one day's 
journey : and he cried, and said : Yet forty days, and Ninive shall be 
destroyed. And the men of Ninive believed in God : and they pro- 
claimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least. 
And the word came to the king of Ninive : and he rose up out of his 
throne, and cast away his robe from him, and was clothed with sack- 
cloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and pub- 
lished in !Nmive from the mouth of the king and of his princes, say- 
ing : Let neither men nor beasts, oxen nor sheep, taste any thing: let 
them not feed, nor drink water. And let men and beasts be covered 
with sackcloth, and cry to the Lord with all their strength, and let 
them turn every one from his evil way, and from the iniquity that is 
in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn, and forgive : and will 
turn away from his fierce anger, and we shall not perish ? And God 
saw their works, that they were turned from their evil way : and our 
Lord God had mercy on his people. 

Explanation. 

This epistle shows the effects of true penance, in expiating so 
many great sins of so large a city ; in appeasing the wrath of 
God, preventing his scourges, obtaining grace and justification ; 
of children of hell making the Xinevites children of heaven ; 
of slaves of the devil, friends of God ; of unjust, impious, and 
unbelieving sinners, making them just, pious, believing, and 
holy men. In turning to penance, says St. Bernard, we make 
the angels rejoice. Hasten, therefore, brethren, hasten; not 
the angels only, but their Creator expects you ! Thou also art 
expected by God and the holy angels. Hasten to do penance, 
lest the Kinevites rise against thee in judgment (Matt. xii. 41). 



272 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



Gospel. (John vii. 32-39.) 
At that time the rulers and Pharisees sent ministers to apprehend 
Jesus : Jesus therefore said to them : Yet a little while I am with you : 
and then I go to him that sent me. You shall seek me, and shall not 
find me : and where I am, thither you cannot come. The Jews there- 
fore said among themselves : Whither will he go, that we shall not 
find him ? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and 
teach the Gentiles? What is this saying that he hath said : You shall 
seek me, and shall not find me ; and where I am, you cannot come? 
And on the last and great day of the festivity, Jesus stood and cried, 
saying: If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink. He that 
believeth in me, as the Scripture saith, out of his belly shall flow 
rivers of living water. Now this he said of the Spirit which they 
should receive who believed in him. 

Practice. 

In these words Jesus admonishes the Jews to make good 
use of the time of grace given to them, since, once passed, it 
will return no more. The Church, in like manner, exhorts us 
to take advantage of our short stay on earth, and of the season 
of Divine grace ; for to every people, and to every man, there 
is appointed a certain time of visitation, which being allowed 
to go by without profit, each one's fate is determined irrevo- 
cably. Perhaps in a few days more, O Christian, thy time of 
grace will be ended. Wilt thou not, then, obey the call of thy 
Saviour to penance ? 

Meditation 

The garments of Jesus are divided by lot among the soldiers. 
What barbarity ! Turn your eyes from them, and lift them 
up to the Crucified. What tranquillity does not this sight 
bring, amid the din of the world, and the most violent temp- 
tations ! 

Prayer over the People. 

Grant to thy people, O Lord, health of mind and body, that 
attending to good works, they may ever deserve to be defend- 
ed by thy protection. Through our Lord. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 273 



Ctusbaji. Passion toeek. 

Introit of the Mass. Expect the Lord ; do manfully, and 
let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord (Ps. 
xxvi.) The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall 
I fear ? Expect the Lord. 

Prayer. 

May our fasts be acceptable to thee, O Lord, and, by ex- 
piating our sins, may they make us worthy of thy grace, and 
conduct us to eternal salvation. Through, our Lord. 



Epistle. (Daniel xiv. 28-42.) 

In those days the Babylonians came to the king, and said : Deliver 
us Daniel, or else we will destroy thee and thy house. And the king 
saw that they pressed upon him violently : and being constrained by 
necessity he delivered Daniel to them. And they cast him into the 
den of lions, and he was there six days. And in the den there were 
seven lions, and they had given to them two carcasses every day, and 
two sheep : but then they were not given unto them that they might 
devour Daniel. Now there was in Judea a prophet called Habacuc, 
and he had boiled pottage, and had broken bread in a bowl : and was 
going into the field, to carry it to the reapers. And the Angel of the 
Lord said to Habacuc: Carry the dinner which thou hast into Baby-. 
Ion to Daniel, who is in the lions' den. And Habacuc said : Lord, I 
never saw Babylon, nor do I know the den. And the Angel of the 
Lord took him by the top of his head, and carried him by the hair of 
his head, and set him in Babylon over the den in the force of his 
spirit. And Habacuc cried, saying: O Daniel, thou servant of God, 
take the dinner that God hath sent thee. And Daniel said : Thou 
hast remembered me, O God, and thou hast not forsaken them that 
love thee. And Daniel arose and ate. And the angel of the Lord 
presently set Habacuc again in his own place. And upon the seventh 
day the king came to bewail Daniel: and he came to the den, and 
looked in, and behold Daniel was sitting in the midst of the lions. 
And the king cried out with a loud voice, saying: Great art thou, O 
Lord the God of Daniel. And he drew him out of the lions' den. 
But those that had been the cause of his destruction, he cast into the 
den, and they were devoured in a moment before him. Then the 

12* 



274 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

king said : Let all the inhabitants of the whole earth fear the God of 
Daniel : for he is the Saviour, working signs, and wonders in the 
earth : who hath delivered Daniel out of the lions' den. 



Explanation. 

Daniel had exposed the impositions of the priests of Baal ; 
destroyed his image and temple, and killed the serpent which 
was worshipped by his followers. The people of Babylon be- 
came thereupon enraged, and persuaded the weak king to cast 
Daniel into the lions' den. But God does not forsake them 
that love him. Daniel remained in the den unhurt, and pre-» 
served by a miracle. We learn from this instance not to be of 
little faith when we are insulted and persecuted for the sake of 
truth, because as priests, or parents, or superiors, we oppose 
wickedness and disorderly conduct. Though God should not 
save us by miracle, as he did Daniel, it will yet be known, 
sooner or later, that we strove to do what was right. 

Gospel. (John vii. 1-13.) 

At that time Jesus walked in Galilee ; for he would not walk in 
Judea, because the Jews sought to kill hira. Now the Jews' feast of 
Tabernacles was at hand. And his brethren said to him : Pass from 
hence, and go into Jndea : that thy disciples also may see thy works 
which thou dost. For there is no man that doth any thing in secret, 
and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, 
manifest thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe 
in him. Then Jesus said to them: My time is not yet come: but 
your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it 
hateth : because I give testimony of it, that the works thereof are 
evil. Go you up to this festival day, but I go not up to this festival 
day : because my time is not accomplished. When he had said these 
things, he himself staid in Galilee. But after his brethren were gone 
up, then he also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in 
secret. The Jews therefore sought him on the festival day, and said : 
Where is he? And there was much murmuring among the multitude 
concerning him. For some said: He is a good man. And others 
said : No, but he seduceth the people. Yet no man spoke openly of 
him, for fear of the Jews. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 275 



Practice. 
According to the gospel, not even the brethren of Christ 
believed in him. He, therefore, not trusting them, went up 
to the feast ; not openly, but, as it were, in secret. Learn 
hence what unbelief is, and how difficult to cure; learn further 
how the world hates those who are not its friends ; but be not 
on that account afraid, so long as you follow your Master only; 
finally, learn to avoid anger and revenge, and to speak and 
keep silence at the right time. 

Meditation. 

Jesus is glorified on the cross by certain remarkable occur- 
rences. All nature mourns and shudders. And thou, my soul, 
so dearly purchased, shouldst not thou mourn ; shouldst thou 
show no compassion ? 



iDebnesbati. Passion toeek. 

Introit of the Mass. My deliverer from the angry nations, 
thou unit lift me up above them that rise up against me / from 
the unjust man thou wilt deliver me, Lord (Ps. xvii.) 1 'will 
love thee, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my firmament, 
and my refuge, and my deliverer. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Sanctify this fast, O God, and mercifully enlighten the hearts 
of thy faithful ; and to those whom thou grantest the grace of 
devotion, mercifully grant, when they pray to thee, a favorable 
hearing. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Leviticus xix. 10-19.) 

In those days the Lord spoke to Moses, saying : Speak to all the 
congregation of the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them : 
I am the Lord your God. You shall not steal. You shall not lie, 
neither shall any man deceive his neighbor. Thou shalt not swear 
falsely by my name, nor profane the name of thy God. I am the 



276 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Lord. Thou shalt not calumniate th} T neighbor, nor oppress him by 
violence. The wages of him that hath been hired by thee shall not 
abide with thee until the morning. Thou shalt not speak evil of the 
deaf, nor put a stumbling-block before the blind : but thou shalt fear 
the Lord thy God, because I am the Lord. Thou shalt not do that 
which is unjust, nor judge unjustly. Respect not the person of the 
poor, nor honor the countenance of the mighty. But judge thy neigh- 
bor according to justice. Thou shalt not be a detractor nor a whis- 
perer among the people. Thou shalt not stand against the blood of 
thy neighbor. I am the Lord. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in 
thy heart, but reprove him openly, lest thou incur sin through him. 
Seek not revenge, nor be mindful of the injury of thy citizens. Thou 
shalt love thy friend as thyself. I am the Lord. Keep my laws, for 
I am the Lord your God. 

Explanation. 

There have been, and there are yet men, who maintain that 
we cannot keep the commandments of God. To this the 
Council of Trent answers as follows : " God does not com- 
mand any thing impossible ; but he encourages us to do what 
we can do, and to ask his help, that we may do w 7 hat of our- 
selves we are not able to do, and he will assist us in fulfilling it" 
(Sess. vi. c. xi.) His commandments are not difficult whose 
yoke is sweet, and whose burden is light. 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, who w r ouldst have me take thy yoke upon me, to 
find rest for my soul, grant me thy grace, that I may carry it 
cheerfully until the end of my life. Amen. 

Gospel. (John x. 22-38.) 

At that time it was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem : and 
it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. 
The Jews therefore came round about him, and said to him : How 
long dost thou hold our souls in suspense ? if thou be the Christ, tell 
us plainly. Jesus answered them : I speak to you, and you believe 
not : the works that I do in the name of my Father, they give testi- 
mony of me. But you do not believe: because you are not of my 
sheep. My sheep hear my voice ; and I know them, and they follow 
me. And I give them life everlasting, and they shall not perish for- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 277 

ever, and no man shall pluck them out of my hand. That which my 
Father hath given me, is greater than all : and no one can snatch them 
out of the hand of my Father. I and the Father are one. The Jews 
then took up stones to stone him. Jesus answered them : Many good 
works I have showed you from my Father; for which of those w T orks 
do you stone me? The Jews answered him: For a good work we 
stone thee not, but for blasphemy ; and because that thou being a 
man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them: Is it not written in 
your law : "I said, you are gods?" If he called them gods, to whom 
the word of God was spoken, and the Scripture cannot be broken : 
do you say of him, whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the 
world : Thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the Son of God ? If 
I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though 
you will not believe me, believe the works : that you may know and 
believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father. 

Practice. 

This gospel also shows that Jesus did every thing to con- 
vince the Jews of the truth of his divine mission. His works 
and the Holy Scriptures alike bear witness to him. They can- 
not deny it, but they will not believe, and resolve to stone him. 
O Jesus, true Son of God, give me thy grace to be on my guard 
against such unbelief; cleanse my soul from pride, and my heart 
from sensuality, that I may never separate from thee. 

Meditation. 

Jesus suffers, on the cross, indescribable pains, and all the 
time he suffers on account of thy sins. Oh, detest them in bit- 
terness of soul, and henceforth, live only for him. 

Prayer over the People. 

Attend to our supplications, O Almighty God, and graciously 
grant the effect of thy wonted mercy to us, to whom thoiv 
grantest confidence to hope for forgiveness. Through our 
Lord. 



278 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

®l)ursbau. JJassion tDeek. 

Introit of the Mass. All that thou hast done to us, Lord, 
thou hast done in true judgment, because vie have sinned 
against thee, and have not obeyed thy commandments ; but 
give glory to thy name, and deal with us according to the 
multitude of thy mercy (Daniel iii.) Blessed are the unde- 
filed in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. All that 
thou. 

Prayer. 

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that the dignity of 
human nature, wounded by excess, may be reformed by atten- 
tion to medicinal temperance. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Daniel iii. 34-45.) 
In those clays Azarias prayed to the Lord saying: O Lord onr God, 
Deliver us not up forever, we beseech thee, for thy name's sake, and 
abolish not thy covenant. And take not away thy mercy from us for 
the sake of Abraham thy beloved, and Isaac thy servant, and Israel thy 
holy one: To whom thou hast spoken promising that thou wouldst 
multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is on 
the sea-shore. For we, O Lord, are diminished more than any nation, 
and are brought low in all the earth this day for our sins. Neither is 
there at this time prince, or leader, or prophet, or holocaust, or sacri- 
fice, or oblation, or incense, or place of first fruits before thee, that 
we may find thy mercy : nevertheless in a contrite heart and humble 
spirit let us be accepted. As in holocausts of rams, and bullocks, and 
as in thousands of fat lambs : so let our sacrifice be made in thy sight 
this day, that it may please thee: for there is no confusion to them 
that trust in thee. And now we follow thee with all our heart, and 
we fear thee, and seek thy face. Put us not to confusion, but deal with 
us according to thy meekness, and according to the multitude of thy 
mercies. And deliver us according to thy wonderful works, and give 
glory to thy name, O Lord : And let all them be confounded that shew 
evils to thy servants, let them be confounded in all thy might, and 
let their strength be broken. And let them know that thou art the 
Lord, the only God, and glorious over all the world, O Lord, our God. 

Explanation. 
ISTabuchodonosor erected a golden statue (probably that of 
Baal), and decreed that at the sound of the trumpet every 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 279 

one should fall down and worship it. This the three Jews 
refused to do ; whereupon the king being informed thereof, 
commanded them to be thrown into the furnace, — a kind of 
capital punishment in use among the Chaldeans. But they 
walked through the flames unhurt, praising God ; and Azarias 
prayed to God, that for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's sake, he 
would have mercy on his people, and deliver them from the 
hands of the enemy. Let us imitate these three men, and 
never suffer any power on earth to prevail upon us to act 
against our faith ; but in our own need let us call on the Lord, 
that he may have mercy on us, for the sake of his saints, and 
save us from all calamity. Let us not bow our knees before 
the idols of worldly lust, and proud vanity, but sacrifice even 
our last drop of blood for our holy Catholic faith. 

Gospel. (Luke vii. 36-50.) See vol. ii. p. 

Meditation. 

Jesus asks, prays for the forgiveness of his tormentors. 
Dost thou in like manner forgive thine enemy ? As long as 
thou dost not forgive, thou canst not receive forgiveness. 

Prayer over the People. 

Be merciful to thy people, O Lord, we beseech thee, that 
rejecting those things which displease thee, they may be rather 
filled with the delight of thy commandments. Through 
Christ. 



iFribag. JJassion ttleek. 

On this day the Church celebrates the feast of the Seven 
Dolors of the Virgin Mary. 

The part which the blessed Virgin took in the sufferings and 
death of her beloved Son, has induced the Church to give her 
the glorious title of Queen of Martyrs. The feast of the 
Seven Dolors was first instituted by the Council of Cologne, in 



280 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

the year 1423, in order to repair what the Hussites had done 
against the veneration of the blessed Virgin, whom they, like 
all heretics, had assailed with many calumnies and insults ; in 
particular, rejecting the image of the mother of Dolors, with 
the body of her deceased Son resting upon her lap. This feast 
was originally called the Feast of the Compassion of the 
Blessed Virgin. 

At the presentation of Jesus in the temple, Simeon had pre- 
dicted that the suffering of the Son would be the suffering of 
the Mother also. Behold this child is set for the fall and for 
the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall 
he contradicted ; and thine own soul a sword shall pierce (Luke 
ii. 34, 35). The ignominy, insults, and cruelties inflicted on 
him, shall be so many swords piercing thy heart. Remember, 
therefore, on this day, the Seven Dolors which the blessed 
Virgin experienced. 1. At the circumcision of her Son. 2. 
At her flight into Egypt with him. 3. At her losing him for 
three days in the temple. 4. At the sight of him carrying 
the cross. 5. At his death. 6. At beholding his side pierced 
with a spear, and his body taken down from the cross. 7. At 
his burial. Make an act of contrition for your sins which 
helped so much to cause the sufferings and death of Jesus, 
and resolve firmly that you will no more grieve the hearts of 
Jesus and Mary by sin. Ask her to assist you at your death 
by her powerful intercession, that then she may show herself 
to you as a mother, and obtain from her beloved Son grace 
for you. 

Introit of the Mass. There stood by the cross of Jesus, his 
mother, and his mother's sister, 3Iary of Cleophas, and Salome, 
and Mary Magdalen (John xix.) Woman, behold thy Son, 
said Jesus, and to the disciple : Behold thy mother. Glory be 
to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O Lord, in whose passion, according to the prophecy of 
Simeon, a sword of sorrow pierced the most sweet soul of 
Mary, mother and virgin, grant, in thy mercy, that we may 
call to mind with veneration her transfixion and sufferings ; 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 281 

and by the glorious merits and prayers of all the saints who 
stood faithfully by the cross, interceding for us, may experience 
the happy effects of thy passion. Who livest. 

Epistle. (Judith xiii. 22-25.) 

The Lord hath blessed thee by his power, because by thee he hath 
brought our enemies to nought. And Ozias, the prince of the people 
of Israel, said to her, Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the 
most high God, above all women upon the earth. Blessed be the 
Lord who made heaven and earth, who hath directed thee to the cut- 
ting off the head of the prince of our enemies. Because he hath so 
magnified thy name this day, that thy praise shall not depart out of 
the mouth of men who shall be mindful of the power of the Lord for; 
ever, for that thou hast not spared thy life, by reason of the distress 
and tribulation of thy people, but hast prevented our ruin in the pres- 
ence of our God. 

Explanation. 

The pious widow, Judith, delivered her city, Bethulia, when 
occupied by the Assyrians, from the enemy, by beheading 
their commander, Holofernes. She was, therefore, highly 
honored and esteemed in Israel, and her praises are recounted 
in the epistle of to-day, in words, however, which are still bet- 
ter adapted to the dolorous mother of God, than to her, since 
through her Son, Mary crushed the head of the serpent. 

Gospel. (John xix. 25-27.) 

At that time, there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his 
mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus 
therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing, whom he 
loved, he saith to his mother: "Woman, behold thy son. After that, 
he saith to the disciple : Behold thy mother. And from that hour 
the disciple took her to his own. 

What does Jesus teach us, by saying, Woman, behold thy 
son f 

What he was to his mother upon earth, and she to him, 
should St. John henceforth be to her, and she to him ; by 
which we are taught to provide for the time after our death, 



282 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

in behalf of those who are connected with us, and whom we 
are specially bound to love. 

What consolation should we derive from those words, Son, 
behold thy mother ? 

Jesus leaves his mother, as it were, by his last will, to his 
beloved disciple, John. The holy fathers (and among them 
St. Augustine in particular) here remark, that St. John repre- 
sents all the children of the Church, and that through the per- 
son of the beloved disciple Jesus has given Mary to be the 
mother of all the faithful. What a happiness, what a blessing 
for us ! 

" Blessed mother of the Lord," cries St. Bonaventure, " as 
all those who forsake thee, and from whom thou avertest thy 
maternal face, will surely perish, so, on the contrary, they can- 
not be lost who have recourse to thee, and who are looked on 
by thee with favor." 

St. John took Mar.y to his own house, honored her as her 
son, loved her cordially, and served her. Let us too love and 
venerate Mary, the mother of Jesus, for the Lord's sake, as our 
own mother, and follow her, as children do their mother, to 
the cross ; remembering the words, Blessed is the man who 
overcometh temptation, for if he shall be found faithful (which 
can only be after many trials) he shall receive the crown of 
eternal life, which God has promised to all those that love him. 

Devout Aspiration, to be used throughout the day. 

Grant, O Mother, Fountain of Love, that I may unite my 
grief to thine. Give me thy sorrows — sorrows which shall in- 
flame my love, and unite me to God, that I may be pleasing 
to him. 

Gospel for Friday of Passion Week. (John xi. 47-54.) 

At that time: The chief-priests and the Pharisees gathered a 
council, and said: What do we, for this man doth many miracles? 
If we let him alone so, all will believe in him, and the Romans 
will come, and take away our place and nation. But one of them 
named Oaiphas, being the high-priest that year, said to them: You 
know nothing. Neither do you consider that it is expedient for you 
that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 283 

perish not. And this he spoke not of himself: bnt being the high- 
priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the 
nation. And not only for the nation, but to gather together in one 
the children of God, that were dispersed. From that day, there- 
fore, they devised to put him to death. Wherefore Jesus walked 
no more openly among the Jews, but he went into a country near 
the desert, unto a city that is called. Ephrem, and there he abode with 
his disciples. 

Practice. 

The high-priests and Pharisees were determined to put 
Jesus to death. They thought by that means to save them- 
selves, the nation, and the temple. They Avere afraid, says St. 
Augustine, to lose their temporal goods, not remembering the 
eternal goods which Christ wished to give them, and thereby 
they lost both. In the remarkable decision, that it were better 
for one man to die for the people, than for the whole nation to 
perish, Caiphas, under the direction of the Holy Ghost, but 
without himself knowing what he said, and even against his 
own will, declared the great mystery that through Jesus all 
men, Jews or Heathen, should be saved. See how the wisdom 
of God confounds the wisdom of men ! See how even the 
malice of men must accomplish God's holy will, and contribute 
to the glory of his name and the salvation of mankind. Here, 
O sinner, see that concerning truth exemplified for thee by 
the blind Jews, that if through fear, or desire of worldly 
goods and pleasure, thou forsakest Jesus, thou wilt lose not 
only the things that are temporal, but the eternal also. 

Jfeditatio?i. 

Jesus promises Paradise to the contrite thief. Thus also 
will he receive thee, O sinner, when thou returnest to him 
with a contrite heart. Delay not ! 

Prayer of the Church. 
Mercifully infuse thy grace into our hearts, we beseech thee, 
O Lord, that retraining from sin by voluntary chastisement, 
we may be rather afflicted in time, than condemned to punish* 
meat for eternity. Through our Lord. 



284 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



Saturbag. J3assion toeek. 

Introit of the Mass. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am, 
afflicted. Deliver me out of the hands of my enemies, and 
from them that persecute me ; let me not be confounded, 
Lord, for I have called upon thee (Ps. xxx.) Ln tJiee, Lord, 
have L hoped, let me never be confounded / deliver me in thy 
justice. Have mercy. 

Epistle. (Jer. xviii. 18-23.) 

In those days the impious Jews said: Come, and let us invent de- 
vices against the just: for the law shall not perish from the priest, 
nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet: come, 
and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us give no heed to all 
his words. Give heed to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my ad- 
versaries. Shall evil be rendered for good, because they have digged 
a pit for my soul? Remember that I have stood in thy sight, to 
^speak good for them, and to turn away thy indignation from them. 
Therefore deliver up their children to famine, and bring them into 
the hands of the sword: let their wives be bereaved of children, and 
widows: and let their husbands be slain by death: let their young 
men be stabbed with the sword in battle. Let a cry be heard out of 
their houses: for thou shalt bring the robber upon them suddenly: 
because they have digged a pit to take me, and have hid snares for 
my feet. But thou, O Lord, knowest all their counsel against me 
unto death : forgive not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blot- 
ted out from thy sight : let them be overthrown before thy eyes ; in 
the time of thy wrath do thou destroy them, O Lord, our God. 

Explanation. 

The Church, recognizing the Prophet Jeremias as a type of 
our Saviour, proposes to us the epistle of to-day, in which the 
prophet, whom his enemies try to kill, that they may no 
longer hear his severe expostulations, and that their own false 
prophets may have more liberty, prays God to send misfortune 
and suffering upon the Jews, that they may be converted. 

Never wish any misfortune to your enemies, unless with the 
intention that they may thereby be brought to perceive their 
injustice, and be converted to God. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 285 

Gospel (John xii. 10-36.) 
At that time : The chief-priests thought to kill Lazarus also : Be- 
cause many of the Jews by reason of him went away, and believed 
in Jesus. And on the next day a great multitude, that was come to 
the festival day, when they had heard that Jesus was coming to Jeru- 
salem, took branches of palm-trees and went forth to meet him, and 
cried: Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, 
the king of Israel. And Jesus found a young ass, and sat upon it, as 
it is written: Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold thy king cometh 
sitting on an ass's colt. These things his disciples did not know at 
the first : but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that 
these things were written of him, and that they had done these things 
to him. The multitude therefore gave testimony, which was with 
him when he called Lazarus out of the grave, and raised him from 
the dead. For which reason also the people came to meet him : be- 
cause they heard that he had done this miracle. The Pharisees there- 
fore said among themselves: Do you see that we prevail nothing? 
behold, the whole world is gone after him. Now there were certain 
Gentiles among them who came up to adore on the festival day. 
These therefore came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and 
desired him, saying: Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and 
telleth Andrew. Again Andrew and Philip told Jesus. But Jesus 
answered them, saying : The hour is come, that the Son of man should 
be glorified. Amen, amen I say to you, unless the grain of wheat 
falling into the ground, die, itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it 
bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it: and 
he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal. If 
any man minister to me, let him follow me: and where I am, there 
also shall my minister be. If any man minister to me, him will my 
Father honor. Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 
Father, save me from this hour. But for this cause I came unto this 
hour. Father, glorify thy name. A voice therefore came from 
heaven : I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. The multi- 
tude therefore that stood and heard, said that it thundered. Others 
said, An angel spoke to him. Jesus answered, and said : This voice 
came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of 
the world : now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if 
I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself. (Now 
this he said, signifying what death he should die.) The multitude 
answered him: We have heard out of the law, that Christ abideth 
forever: and now sayest thou: The Son of man must be lifted up? 
Who is this Son of man ? Jesus therefore said to them : Yet a little 



286 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

while the light is among you. Walk whilst you have the light, that the 
darkness overtake you not. And he that walketh in darkness know- 
eth not whither he goeth. Whilst you have the light, believe in the 
light, that you may be the children of light. These things Jesus 
spoke, and he went away, and hid himself from them. 

Practice. 

While the Doctors of the Law and Pharisees were nearly 
ready to die for envy at the solemn entry of Jesus into Jeru- 
salem, and the hosannas of the people, the Gentiles, on the 
other hand, came to see and hear him. This led him to speak 
of the nearness and necessity of his death, and to exhort them 
to belief in him as the light of the world. The hour of the 
lowest humiliation, as also of the highest exaltation, has come. 
I must die that men may be redeemed, as the grain of wheat 
sown into the ground must die to bring forth fruit. Even so, 
says Jesus Christ, every one who wishes to save his life, must 
hate in this world ; that is, he must deny himself, and over- 
come his sinful inclinations ; then will he be my disciple, and 
preserve his life through a happy eternity. Finally, Jesus 
again invites the Jews to believe in him, while he, their light, 
was walking among them, lest darkness should overtake them, 
and they seek light in vain. Sinner, listen to-day to the voice 
of grace ; be converted while the light of grace shines, lest 
perdition befall thee. 

Meditation. 
" Behold thy son:'' " Behold thy mother." What love, 
which even to the end, is careful for its own ! And what joy 
also for thee, my soul, to have such a mother ! Honor and 
love her ! 

Prayer over the People. 

May thy right hand defend thy suppliant people, we beseech 
thee, O Lord, and worthily instruct them, being purified in thy 
sight, that by present consolation it may profit for future good 
things. Through Christ. 



the; epistles and gospels. 2S7 



\)alm Sunbcig. 

Why is this Sunday called Palm Sunday ? 

In memory of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, 
when he was received by the devout people with palms ; for 
which reason the Church to-day blesses palms, with which a 
solemn procession is held. 

Why are the palms blessed ? 

Through the blessing of the palms the Church desires to 
procure us new graces, and to impart to us wholesome lessons. 
She prays God, 1. To protect in body and soul those who carry 
palms with devotion. 2. To bless the dwellings into which the 
palms are brought, to free them from all misfortunes, and to 
shelter them with his hand. 3. She therein brings before us, how 
God, signifying the Redemption, even by lifeless things, has 
by the entrance into Jerusalem with palms, represented the 
victory of Jesus over the prince of darkness, and by the olive- 
branches, the fulness of mercy, that we, regarding this myste- 
rious meaning, may pray God for grace, to vanquish through 
Jesus the kingdom of Satan, that finally, decorated with the 
palm, we may bear part in his glorious resurrection. 4. She 
lastly prays God to increase in us faith, and to give us grace, 
that as w r e bear palms and olive-branches in our hands, so we 
may go forth flourishing with the fruits of righteousness, to 
meet Jesus with good works ; and that following the people of 
Israel in a spiritual manner, we may, by faith, and the removal 
of scandals, make ready for him a way clear from all stones of 
stumbling and offence, may openly confess him and walk in his 
footsteps, till, with him, we enter the heavenly Jerusalem. 

How should we assist at the procession ? 

With the intention with which it was instituted. We should 
place before ourselves, 1. The entrance of Jesus into Jerusa- 
lem, go forth in spirit to meet him, and adore him as the king 
and Saviour of the world. 2. We should, with the people, 
praise Jesus as the son of David, as God and Saviour, saying, 
Hosanna, praised be he forever ! 3. Finally, we should pray 
for protection and blessing for ourselves, and our own ; for vie- 



288 INSTRUCTIONS ON * 

toiy over evil ; for the .fruits of justice ; and for admission into 
the heavenly Jerusalem. 

Why does the priest, at the close of the procession, knock 
three times at the church door ? 

To signify that until Jesus Christ came, heaven was shut to 
mankind, but is now opened by the triune God, the Father who 
sent his Son, Jesus, who died for our sins, and obtained the 
grace of salvation for us, and the Holy Ghost, who brings sanc- 
tifi cation. 

In the same manner as we are reminded by the blessing of 
palms, and the procession, of the entrance into Jerusalem, and 
of the last days of Jesus upon earth, so, in the mass of to-day, 
the Church reminds us of his sufferings, to move us to compas- 
sion and contrition for our sins, and cries with a sorrowful voice, 
at the Introit : Lord, rem.ove not thy help to a distance 
from me, look towards my defence, deliver me from the lion's 
mouth, and my lowness from the horns of the unicorn. 
God, my God, look upon me / why hast thou forsaken me ? 
far from my salvation are the words of my sin (Ps. xxi.) 
Lord, remove. 

Prayer. 
O Almighty and Eternal God, who wouldst have our Saviour 
take flesh and undergo the cross, for man to imitate the ex- 
ample of his humility, grant, we beseech thee, that we may 
both deserve the instruction of his patience, and the fellowship 
of his resurrection. Through the same Jesus Christ. 

Epistle. (Philippians ii. 5-11.) 

Brethren: Let this mind be in yon, which was also in Christ Jesus: 
who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal 
with God: but debased himself, taking the form of a servant, being 
made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man. He hum- 
bled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the 
cross. For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given 
him a name which is above every name {here Imeel): that in the 
name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, 
on cart!), and under the earth. And that every tongue should confess 
tli it the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 289 

Explanation. 

It is always our duty to be of the same mind as Jesus Christ, 
but the Church would have us specially strive to be so in these 
days of his sorrow. Jesus was so humble and obedient that 
for our sake he deprived himself of his glory, took the form 
of a servant, and, in obedience to the will of his Father, under- 
went the most ignominious death of the cross. We therefore 
are of the same mind with Jesus, when we are humble of 
heart, and willingly obey God, the Church, our parents and 
superiors, even though it should cost us trouble and self-denial. 
Thus following him in mind, we shall share in his exaltation 
in the glory of his Father. 

Aspiration. 

Oh, that I were of the same mind with thee, O Jesus, as hum- 
ble, as obedient ! How guilty and malicious for me, a sinner, 
always to seek my own will, while thou, the infinite majesty, 
through obedience, humblest thyself to the death of the cross. 
By this death of thine, I pray thee, give me thy grace, to fol- 
low thee faithfully in humility and obedience. 

During mass, instead of the gospel, is read the Passion of 
our Lord, taken from the Gospel of St. Matthew (xxvi., xxvii. 
1-66). The use of candles and incense is omitted, and "Dom- 
inus Vobiscum" is not said, to signify that Jesus, the light of 
the world, was taken away, and that the love and faith of the 
Apostles nearly failed. In reading the Passion, at the words, 
"bowing his head, he gave up the ghost," the priest and con- 
gregation kneel down and meditate for a short time, in venera- 
tion and humility, on the mysterious event of the accomplish- 
ment of our redemption. 

At the blessing of the palms the following gospel is said : 

Gospel. (Matt. xxi. 1-9.) 
At that time : When Jesus drew nigh to Jerusalem, and was come 
to Bethphage, unto Blount Olivet; then he sent two disciples, saying 
to them : Go ye into the village that is over against you, and imme- 
diately ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her ; loose them, and 
bring them to me ; and if any man shall sav any thing to you, say ye 
13 



290 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

that the Lord hath need of them, and forthwith he will let them 
go. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled, which was 
spoken by the prophet, saying: Tell ye the daughter of Sion, behold 
thy king cometh to thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, 
the foal of her that is used to the yoke. And the disciples going, did 
as Jesus commanded them. And they brought the ass and the colt, 
and laid their garments upon them, and made him sit thereon. And 
a very great multitude spread their garments in the way ; and others 
cut boughs from the trees, and strewed them in the way ; and the 
multitudes that went before and that followed, cried, saying : Ho- 
sanna to the Son of David 1 blessed is he that cometh in the name of 
the Lord. 



Why did Jesus enter with so much solemnity into Je- 
rusalem ? 

1. To present himself as the promised Messiah and King of 
the Jews, whose triumphant entry into Jerusalem the Prophet 
Zachary had predicted. 2. To call the Doctors of the Law 
and Pharisees, as also the whole Jewish nation, by the fulfil- 
ment of this prophecy, to the most confident belief in him. 
3. To show that it was of his own free will that he gave him- 
self up to the death which he was, in a few days more, to suf- 
fer. 4. To keep before them the true spirit of his kingdom — 
meekness and love — and thereby to show that it was a spiritual, 
not an earthly kingdom. Thus he has also given us, 5. An im- 
portant lesson; for, by his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, 
he foreshadows his victory over Satan, the world, sin, and hell, 
and proclaims himself King of our hearts and Prince of peace. 
Follow him, therefore, as thy king, and endeavor to acquire 
that characteristic of thy Saviour, meekness. 

Why did the people go to meet Jesus with palms in their 
hands ? 

1. The miracles wrought by Jesus, of which the raising of 
Lazarus from the dead was yet fresh in their recollection, had 
tilled the people with profound love and veneration for him. 
2. It was done by a divine inspiration, partly that the prophe- 
cies might be fulfilled, and partly to show that Jesus, as the 
victor over death, Satan, and hell, would gain for us the palm 
of peace with God, our neighbor, and ourselves, and that he 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 291 

would open to us the heavenly Jerusalem. And yet these 
same people, five days later, desired his death, and they who 
on Sunday greeted him with hosannas, on Friday cried out, 
"Crucify him." How fickle and changeable! But such is 
mankind — such is the world. Learn, therefore, to confide in 
God alone, and not in man ; for he who is with you to-day, 
may be against you to-morrow. Be cautious, therefore, and 
watchful, lest imitating the changeableness of the people, you 
~at Easter receive your Saviour with joy, and then after a little, 
by new sins, crucify him again (Heb. vi. 6). 

Passion of our Lord according to St. Mattheio (xxvi., xxvii. 1-66). 

At that time Jesus said to his disciples : You know that after two 
days shall be the pasch, and the Son of man shall be delivered up to 
be crucified. Then were gathered together the chief-priests and 
ancients of the people into the court of the high-priest, who was call- 
ed Caiphas : and they consulted together, that by subtilty they might 
apprehend Jesus, and put him to death. But they said : Isot on the 
festival day, lest perhaps there should be a tumult among the people. 
And when Jesus was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, 
there came to him a woman having an alabaster-box of precious oint- 
ment, and poured it on his head as he was at table. And the disci- 
ples seeing it, had indignation, saying: To what purpose is this 
waste ? for this might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 
And Jesus knowing it, said to them : "Why do you trouble this 
woman ? For she hath wrought a good work upon me. For the 
poor you have always with you : but me you have not always. For 
she in pouring this ointment upon my body, hath done it for my 
burial. Amen, I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preach- 
ed in the whole world, that also which she hath done, shall be told 
for a memory of her. Then went one of the twelve, who was called 
Judas Iscariot, to the chief-priests : and said to them : What will you 
give me, and I will deliver him unto you? But they appointed him 
thirty pieces of silver. And from thenceforth he sought opportunity 
to betray him. 

And on the first day of the Azymes the disciples came to Jesus, 
saying: "Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the pasch 5 
But Jesus said : Go ye into the city to a certain man, and say to him : 
The master saith, My time is near at hand, with thee I make the pasch 
with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed to 



292 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

them, and they prepared the pasch. But when it was evening, he sat 
down with his twelve disciples. And whilst they were eating, he said : 
Amen I say to yon, that one of you is abont to betray me. And they 
being very much troubled, began every one to say : Is it I, Lord ? But 
he answering said : He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he 
shall betray me. The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of 
him : but wo to that man, by whom the Son of man shall be betray- 
ed : it were better for him, if that man had not been born. And Ju- 
das that betrayed him, answering said: Is it I, Kabbi? He saith to 
him : Thou hast said it. And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took 
bread, and blessed, and broke : and gave to his disciples, and said : 
Take ye, and eat : this is my body. And taking the chalice he gave 
thanks ; and gave to them, saying : Drink ye all of this. For this is 
my blood of the new testament which shall be shed for many unto re- 
mission of sins. And I say to you I will not drink from henceforth of 
this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it with you 
new in the kingdom of my Father. And a hymn being said, they 
went out unto mount Olivet. Then Jesus saith to them : All you shall 
be scandalized in me this night. For it is written: "I will strike the 
shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed." But after I 
shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. And Peter 
answering, said to him : Although all shall be scandalized in thee, I 
will never be scandalized. Jesus said to him: Amen I say to thee, 
that in this night before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice. 
Peter saith to him : Yea, though I should die with thee, I will not deny 
thee. And in like manner said all the disciples. Then Jesus came 
with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani : and he 
said to his disciples : Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray. And 
taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to grow 
sorrowful and to be sad. Then he saith to them : My soul is sorrow- 
ful even unto death : stay you here and watch with me. And going a 
little further, he fell upon his face, praying, and saying: My Father, if 
it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not as I 
will, but as thou wilt. And he cometb to his disciples: and flndeth 
them asleep, and he saith to Peter: What? Could you not watch one 
hour with me ? Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. 
The spirit indeed is willing, hut the flesh weak. Again the second 
time, he went and prayed, saying : My Father, if this chalice maynot 
pass away, but I must drink it, thy will be done. And he cometh 
again, and flndeth them sleeping; for their eyes were heavy. And 
leaving them, he went again : and he prayed the third time saying the 
6elf-same word. Then he cometh to his disciples and saith to them: 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 293 

Sleep ye now and take your rest : behold the hour is at hand, and the 
Son oi man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us 
go: behold he is at hand that will betray me. As he yet spoke, be- 
hold Judas, one of the twelve came, and with him a great multitude 
with swords and elubs, sent from the chief-priests and the ancients of 
the people. And he that betrayed him, gave them a sign, saying: 
Whomsoever I shall hiss, that is he, hold him fast. And forthwith 
coining to Jesus, he said: Hail, Rabbi. And he kissed him. And 
Jesus said to him : Friend, whereto art thou come? Then they came 
up, and laid hands on Jesus, and held him. And behold one of them, 
that were with Jesus, stretching forth his hand, drew out his sword : 
and striking the servant of the high-priest, cut off his ear. Then 
Jesus saith to him: Put up again thy sword into its place: For all 
that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that 
I cannot ask my Father, and he will give me presently more than 
twelve legions of angels ? How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, 
that so it must be done ? 

In that same hour Jesus said to the multitudes : you are come out 
as it were to a robber with sivords and clubs to apprehend me. I sat 
daily with you teaching in the temple, and you laid not hands on me. 
Now all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be 
fulfilled. Then the disciples all leaving him, fled. But they holding 
Jesus led him to Caiphas the high-priest, where the scribes and the 
ancients were assembled. And Peter followed him afar off, even to 
the court of the high-priest. And going in, he sat with the servants, 
that he might see the end. And the chief-priests and the whole 
council sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him 
to death: and they found not, whereas many false witnesses had 
come in. And last of all there came two false witnesses: and they 
said: This man said, lam able to destroy the temple of God, and 
after three days to rebuild it. And the high-priest rising up, said to 
him: Answerest thou nothing to the things which these witness 
against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high-priest said to 
him : I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us if thou he the 
Christ the Son of God. Jesus saith to him : Thou hast said it. 
Nevertheless I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of man 
sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the 
clouds of heaven. Then the high-priest rent his garments, saying : He 
hath blasphemed : what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, 
now you have heard the blasphemy; what think you? But they 
answering said : He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his 
face, and bullet him, and others struck his face with the palms of 



294 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

their hands, saying: Prophesy unto us, O Christ; who is he that 
struck thee? But Peter sat without in the court; and there came to 
him a servant maid, saying: Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilean. 
But he denied before them all, saying: I know not what thou sayest. 
And as he went out of the gate, another maid saw him, and she saith 
to them that were there : This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth. 
And again he denied with an oath: That I know not the man. And 
after a little while they came that stood by, and said to Peter: Surely 
thou also art one of them : for even thy speech doth discover thee. 
Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man. 
And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word 
of Jesus which he had said : Before the cock crow, thou wilt deny 
me thrice. And going forth he wept bitterly. 

And when morning was come, all the chief priests and ancients 
of the people took counsel against Jesus, that they might put him to 
death. And they brought him bound, and delivered him to Pon- 
tius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing 
that he was condemned ; repenting himself, brought back the thirty 
pieces of silver to the chief-priests and ancients, saying: I have sinned 
in betraying innocent blood. But they said: What is that to us? 
look thou to it. And casting down the pieces of silver in the temple 
he departed : and went and hanged himself with a halter. But the 
chief-priests having taken the pieces of silver, said : It is not lawful 
to put them into the corbona, because it is the price of blood. And 
after they had consulted together, they bought with them the potter's 
field, to be a burying-place for strangers. For this cause that field 
was called Haceldama, that is, the field of blood, even to this day. 
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, 
saying: " And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him 
that was prized, whom they prized of the children of Israel. And 
they gave them unto the potter's field, as the Lord appointed to me." 
And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, 
saying: Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus saith to him: Thou 
sayest it. And when he was accused by the chief-priests and ancients, 
he answered nothing. Then Pilate saith to him: Dost not thou hear 
how great testimonies they allege against thee? And he answered 
him not to any word : so that the governor wondered exceedingly. 

Now upon the solemn day the governor was accustomed to release 
to the people one prisoner, whom they would. And he had then a 
notorious prisoner, that was called Barabbas. They therefore being 
gathered together, Pilate said: Whom will you that I release to you, 
Barabbas, or Jesus that is called Christ? For he knew that for envy 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 295 

they had delivered him. And as he was sitting on the judgment-seat, 
his wife sent to him, saying: Have thou nothing to do with that just 
man. For I have suffered many things this day in a dream because 
of him. But the chief-priests and ancients persuaded the people, that 
they should ask Barabbas, and make Jesus away. And the governor 
answering, said to them : Whether will you of the two to be released 
unto you? But they said, Barabbas. Pilate saith to them: What 
shall I do then with Jesus that is called Christ ? They say all : Let him 
be crucified. The governor said to them : Why, what evil hath he 
done ? But they cried out the more, saying : Let him be crucified. 
And Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing : but that rather a tumult 
was made: taking water, washed his hands before the people, saying: 
I am innocent of the blood of this just man : look you to it. And the 
whole people answering, said: His blood be upon us and upon our 
children. Then he released to them Barabbas, and having scourged 
Jesus, delivered him unto them to be crucified. Then the soldiers of 
the governor taking Jesus into the hall, gathered together unto him 
the whole band ; and stripping him, they put a scarlet cloak about 
him. And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and 
a reed in his right hand. And bowing the knee before him, they 
mocked him, saying : Hail, king of the Jews. And spitting upon him, 
they took the reed, and struck his head, and after they had mocked him, 
they took off the cloak from him and put on him his own garments, and 
led him away to crucify him. And going out they found a man of 
Cyrene, named Simon : him they forced to take up his cross. And 
they came to the place that is called Golgotha, which is the place of 
Calvary. And they gave him wine to drink mingled with gall. And 
when he had tasted, he would not drink. And after they had cruci- 
fied him, they divided his garments : casting lots : that it might be 
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "They divided 
my garments among them ; and upon my vesture they cast lots." 
And they sat and watched him. And they put over his head his 
cause, written : " This is Jesus the King of the Jews." Then were 
crucified with him two thieves : one on the right hand, and one on 
the left. And they that passed by blasphemed him, wagging their 
heads, and saying: Yah, thou that destroyest the temple of God, and 
in three days dost rebuild it: save thy own self: if thou be the Son 
of God, come down from the cross. In like manner also the chief- 
priests with the scribes and ancients mocking, said : He saved others: 
himself he cannot save : if he be the king of Israel, let him now come 
down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God : 
let him now deliver him if he will have him ; for he said : I am the 



206 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Son of God. And the self-same thing the thieves also, that were 
crucified with him reproached him with. Now from the sixth hour 
there was darkness over the whole earth, until the ninth hour. And 
about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying: Eli, Eli, 
lamina sabacthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou for- 
saken me? And some that stood there and heard, said: This man 
calleth Elias. And immediately one of them running took a sponge, 
and filled it with vinegar; and put it on a reed, and gave him to 
drink. And the others said: Let be, let us see whether Elias will 
come to deliver him. And Jesus again crying with a loud voice, 
yielded up the ghost. {Here all leneel and 2^attse.) 

And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top 
even to the bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent. 
And the graves were opened : and many bodies of the saints that had 
slept, arose, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, came 
into the holy city, and appeared to many. Now the centurion, and 
they that were with him watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake 
and the things that were done, were sore afraid, saying : Indeed this 
was the Son of God. And there were there many women afar off, 
who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him : among 
whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James and Jo- 
seph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. And when it was even- 
ing, there came a certain rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who 
also himself was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked the 
body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded that the body should be de- 
livered. And Joseph taking the body, wrapped it up in a clean linen 
cloth, and laid it in his own new monument, which he had hewed out 
in a rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the monument, 
and went his way. And there was there Mary Magdalen, and the 
other Mary sitting over against the sepulchre. 

And the next day, which followed the day of preparation, the chief 
priests and the Pharisees came together to Pilate, saying : Sir, we 
have remembered, that that seducer said, while he was yet alive : 
After three days I will rise again. Command therefore the sepulchre 
to be guarded until the third day : lest perhaps his disciples come and 
steal him away, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead : and 
the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said to them: You 
have a guard ; go, guard it as you know. And they departing, made 
the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting guards. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 297 

Meditation. 

Jesus cries, U I thirst," and they gave him vinegar to drink. 
And thou, O Christian, wilt only please thy palate ! Oh, do 
penance, and deny thyself for the love of Jesus ! 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, tree of life, ever blooming and ever bearing fruit, 
grant that we may, like palms, ever flourish in thy love, and 
blossom and bear fruit in the exercise of good works, and so 
be prepared to celebrate worthily the holy feast of Easter. 



$olS toeek. 

"Why is this week called Holy Week ? 

Because, during this week, we celebrate the most important 
mysteries of our religion with touching and holy ceremonies. 

On account of the constant reference of the Church, through- 
out this week, to the death of Christ, and to the great and 
holy redemption thereby accomplished, the week itself is called 
both the Great and Holy Week. 

How should we spend this week ? 

According to the intention of the Church, by meditating on 
what Jesus did for us during this week, particularly on his suf- 
ferings and death ; further, by fasting more strictly, like the 
Christians of early times, who, during these days, contented 
themselves with water and bread ; by praying often and de- 
voutly ; avoiding society as much as possible ; attending the 
divine service daily, and leading a holy life. 

What remarkable things did Jesus do, during the four first 
days of this week ? 

After he had entered on Palm Sunday, amidst the greatest 
exultation of the people of Jerusalem, into the temple, and had 
been received by the children with that cry of joy, " Hosanna 
to the Son of David !" he cast out all them that sold and 
bought in the temple ; spent the day in preaching and healing 

13* 



298 INSTRUCTIONS ON" 

the sick, and returned at evening, with his disciples, to Beth- 
any (Matt. xi. 11), a village on Mount Olivet, about two miles 
from Jerusalem. On the following three days, also, he went 
with the twelve to Jerusalem, teaching in the temple during 
the day, and spending the night on Mount Olivet. In his 
preaching on these days, he particularly endeavored to con- 
vince the Jewish priests, Doctors of the Law, and Pharisees, 
that he was the true Messiah (Matt. xxii. 42), and that in his 
death, which he predicted as certain, they would commit a 
great sin, and bring destruction upon themselves and the whole 
Jewish people ; which he gave them to understand, by the 
withering of the fig-tree under his curse, and by the prediction 
of the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem (Luke 
xxi.) Besides, he disputed with them, and confounded them 
so completely, both openly and by parables, that, out of anger 
and hatred, they with one mind determined to kill him (Matt, 
xxvi.) To the accomplishment of their purpose, the impious 
Judas contributed the most ; for out of avarice he agreed with 
the high priests, for thirty pieces of silver, to betray and to 
deliver him into their hands on the next day; that is, Thursday. 
Thus far could Judas be led by avarice. Combat, therefore, 
every passion, and particularly avarice, lest the like happen to 
you. 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, I thank thee for all thou hast done and suffered for 
me. Oh, by thy blood, give me grace to conquer my passions, 
and never to betray thee by any sin. Amen. 



JilonbaB in tyo\r) toeek. 

Introit of the Mass. Judge thou, Lord, them that wrong 
me / overthrow them that fight against me/ take hold of arms 
and shield, and rise up to help me, Lord, the strength of 
my salvation (Ps. xxxiv.) Bring out the sword and shut 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 299 

up the way against those who persecute me ; say to my soul, 
I am thy salvation. Judge thou, Lord. 

Prayer. 

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we who fail 
through our infirmity, in so many adversities, may be relieved 
by the passion of thy Son, making intercession for us, who 
lives and reigns. 

Epistle. (Isaias 1. 5-10.) 

In those days, Isaias said : The Lord God hath opened ray ear, and 
I do not resist : I have not gone back. I Lave given my body to the 
strikers, and my cheeks to them that plucked them : I have not turned 
away my face from them that rebuked me, and spit upon me. The 
Lord God is my helper, therefore am I not confounded : therefore 
have I set my face as a most hard rock, and I know that I shall not 
be confounded. He is near that justifieth me, who will contend with 
me? let us stand together, who is my adversary? let him come near 
to me. Behold the Lord God is my helper : who is he that shall con- 
demn me? Lo, they shall all be destroyed as a garment, the moth 
shall eat them up. Who is there among you that feareth the Lord, 
that heareth the voice of his servant, that hath walked in darkness, 
and hath no light? let him hope in the name of the Lord, and. lean 
upon his God. 

fflqplanation. 

Isaias here speaks of Christ, who, being appointed by God 
the Father to redeem mankind, had not gone back ; that is, 
had not refused to accomplish the will of his Father, but out 
of love for us, suffered willingly innumerable sorrows and 
pains, subduing thereby his and our enemies, the world, hell, 
sin, and death, and entering into his eternal gk>ry. ^Yhen we 
are in misery and need, let us put our confidence in God, par- 
ticularly when we find ourselves walking in the darkness of sin, 
and he will give us his light and grace, he will be our helper, 
and will not leave us to perish. 



300 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Gospel. (John xii. 1-9.) 

Six days before the pascli Jesus came to Bethania, where Lazarus' 
had been dead, whom Jesus raised to life. And they made him a 
supper there : and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that 
were at table with him. Mary therefore took a pound of oint- 
ment of right spikenard, of great price, and anointed the feet of Jesus, 
and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the 
odor of the ointment. Then one of his disciples, Jndas Iscariot, he 
that was about to betray him, said : Why was not this ointment sold 
for three hundred pence and given to the poor? Now he said this, 
not because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and 
having the purse, carried the things that were put therein. Jesus 
therefore said : Let her alone, that she may keep it against the day of 
my burial. For the poor you have always with you ; but me you 
have not always. A great multitude therefore of the Jews knew that 
he was there: and they came, not for Jesus's sake only, but that they 
might see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 

Practice. 

This short gospel gives us many lessons. 1. The love of 
Mary teaches us with our whole heart to love Jesus, who for- 
gives our sins, as he did hers ; to show our love to him, with- 
out fear, in our life, and not to consider any offering too costly 
to be made to him. 2. The wickedness of Judas, notwith- 
standing he was one of the disciples of Jesus, shows that there 
is nothing so holy but that it may be abused, no state of 
life which does not include unworthy members. But on that 
account is the state of life itself evil? 3. The forbearance of 
Jesus teaches us to acknowledge God's long suffering towards 
us, and earnestly urges us to use the time of divine forbearance 
to complete our repentance, that we may not some day come 
to a frightful end ; and besides, to practice a merciful forbear- 
ance towards our erring brethren. 4. The indignation of 
Judas at Mary, shows what continual hindrances to the exercise 
of good works are prepared for the good, either by evil dis- 
positions within, or by men without. But fear not; become 
and remain good, trust in Jesus, and thou shalt celebrate an 
eternal triumph. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 301 

Meditation. 

" God, my God, ichy hast thou forsaken me /" Oh, what 
desolation ! Thou also sufferest often spiritual dryness and 
desertion ; be not discouraged, turn to Jesus and pray, and 
soon will heavenly dew moisten the dry ground of thy heart. 

Prayer over the People. 
Help us, O Lord, our Saviour, and grant us to come with 
joy to celebrate the benefits which thou hast been pleased to 
heap on us. Through or Lord. 



fftuesban in $ol£ fcOeek, 

Introit of the Mass (the same as on Holy Thursday). 

Prayer. 

O Almighty and everlasting God, grant us so to celebrate 
the mysteries of our Lord's passion, that we may deserve to 
obtain pardon. Through the same, our Lord. 

Epistle. (Jeremias xi. 18-20.) 

In those days Jeremias said : Thon, Lord, hast shown me, and I 
have known: then thon showedest me their doings. And I was as a 
meek lamb, that is carried to he a victim : and I knew not that they 
had devised counsels against me, saying : Let us put wood on his 
bread, and cut him off from the laud of the living, and let his name 
be remembered no more. But thou, O Lord of Sabaoth, who judgest 
justly, and triest the reins and the hearts, let me see thy revenge on 
them : for to thee have I revealed my cause, O Lord my God. 

Explanation. 
According to the constant doctrine of the Church, these 
words spoken in the person of Jeremias, refer to Jesus. Jere- 
mias, indeed, like Jesus, was unjustly persecuted by his 
enemies, towards whom he showed only meekness : and, in the 
first instance, these words apply to him ; but in a more special 



302 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

and proper manner they relate to Jesus, who, patient as a lamb, 
allowed his enemies to nail him to the cross. Learn here, O 
Christian, to imitate the example of the Lamb of God, and to 
endure patiently every injustice. 

In regard to the prayer of Jeremias for vengeance, St. Au- 
gustine remarks, " It is for the good to come of it, and not for 
the vengeance itself, that the just rejoices at the punishment 
of the sinner, since he finds no pleasure in the perdition of the 
sinner, whose conversion he desires, but wishes justice to be 
meted out, that many may be brought back to God." 

Tlie Passion of our Lord, according to St. Mark (xiv., xv. 1 46). 

At that time the feast of the pasch, and of the azymes was after 
two days : and the chief-priests and the scribes sought how they 
might by some wile lay hold on him, and kill him. But they said : 
Not on the festival day, lest there should be a tumult among the 
people. And when he was in Bethania in the house of Simon the 
leper, and was at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster-box 
of ointment of precious spikenard : and breaking the alabaster-box 
she poured it out upon his head. Now there were some that had in- 
dignation within themselves, and said : Why was this waste of the 
ointment made? For this ointment might have been sold for more 
than three hundred pence, and given to the poor. And they mur- 
mured against her. But Jesus said : Let her alone, why do you 
molest her ? She hath wrought a good work upon me. For the poor 
you have always with you : and whensoever you will, you may do 
them good ; but me you have not always. What she had, she hath 
done : she is come beforehand to anoint my body for the burial. 
Amen I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the 
whole world, that also which she hath done, shall be told for a me- 
morial of her. And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the 
chief-priests to betray him to them. Who hearing it were glad : and 
they promised to give him money. And he sought how he might 
conveniently betray him. Now on the first day of the unleavened 
bread when they sacrificed the pasch, the disciples say to him : 
Whither wilt thou that we go, and prepare for thee to eat the pasch ? 
And he sendeth two of his disciples, and saith to them: Go ye into 
the city ; and there shall meet you a man carrying a pitcher of water, 
follow him ; and whithersoever he shall go in, say to the master of 
the house, The master saith, Where is my refectory, where I may eat 
the pasch with my disciples ? And he will show you a large dining- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 303 

room furnished ; aud there prepare ye for us. And his disciples went 
their way, and came into the city ; and they found as he had told 
them, and they prepared the pasch. And when evening was come, 
he cometh with the twelve. And when they were at table and eat- 
ing, Jesus saith : Amen I say to yon, one of you that eateth with me 
shall betray me. But they began to be sorrowful, and to say to him 
one by one: Is it I? Who saith to them: One of the twelve, who 
dippeth with me his hand in the dish. And the Son of man indeed 
goeth, as it is written of him : but wo to that man by whom the Son 
of man shall be betrayed. It were better for him, if that man had 
not been born. And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread : and 
blessing broke, and gave to them, and said : Take ye, This is my 
body. And having taken the chalice, giving thanks he gave it to* 
them. And they all drank of it. And he said to them : This is my 
blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many. Amen I 
say to you, that I will drink no more of this fruit of the vine, until 
that day when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of God. And 
when they had said a hymn, they went forth to the mount of Olives. 
And Jesus saith to them : You will all be scandalized in my regard 
this night ; for it is written, " I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep 
shall be dispersed." But after I shall be risen again, I will go before 
yon into Galilee. But Peter saith to him : Although all shall be scan- 
dalized in thee, yet not I. And Jesus saith to him : Amen I say to 
thee, to-day even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt 
deny me thrice. But he spoke the more vehemently : Although I 
should die together with thee, I will not deny thee. And in like 
manner also said they all. And they come to a farm called Geth- 
semani. And he saith to his disciples : Sit you here, while I pray. 
And he taketh Peter and James and John with him ; and he began to 
fear and to be heavy. And he saith to them : My soul is sorrowful 
even unto death; stay yon here, and watch. And when he was gone 
forward a little he fell flat on the ground ; and he prayed that if it 
might be, the hour might pass from him : and he saith : x\bba, Fa- 
ther, all things are possible to thee, remove this chalice from me, but 
not what I will, but what thou wilt. And he cometh, and findeth 
them sleeping. And he saith to Peter : Simon, sleepest thou? couldst 
thou not watch one hour ? Watch ye, and pray that you enter not 
into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 
And going away again, he prayed, saying the same words. And 
when he returned he found them again asleep (for their eyes were 
heavy) and they knew not what to answer him. And he cometh the 
third time, and saith to them : Sleep ye now, and take your rest. It 



304: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

is enough : the hour is come ; behold the Son of man shall be be- 
trayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go. Behold, he 
that will betray me, is at hand. And while he was yet speaking, 
cometh Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, and with him a great multi- 
tude with swords and staves, from the chief-priests and the scribes 
and the ancients. And he that betrayed him had given them a sign, 
saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he, lay hold on him, and 
lead him away carefully. And wdien he was come, immediately going 
up to him, he saith : Hail, Rabbi : and he kissed him. But they laid 
hands on him, and held him. And one of them that stood by draw- 
ing a sword, struck a servant of the chief-priest, and cut off his ear. 
And Jesus answering, said to them : Are you come out as to a robber 
^vith swords and staves to apprehend me ? I was daily with you in 
the temple teaching, and you did not lay hands on me. But, that the 
scriptures may be fulfilled. Then his disciples leaving him all lied 
away. And a certain young man followed him having a linen cloth 
cast about his naked body ; and they laid hold on him. But he, cast- 
ing off the linen cloth, fled from them naked. And they brought 
Jesus to the high-priest ; and all the priests and the scribes and the 
ancients assembled together. And Peter followed him afar off, even 
into the court of the high-priest; and he sat with the servants at the 
fire, and warmed himself. And the chief-priests and all the council 
sought for evidence against Jesus that they might put him to death, 
and found none. For many bore false witness against him, and their 
evidences were not agreeing. And some rising up, bore false witness 
against him, saying : We heard him sa} T , I will destroy this temple 
made with hands, and within three days I will build another, not 
made with hands. And their witness did not agree. And the high- 
priest rising up in the midst, asked Jesus, saying: Answerest thou 
nothing to the things that are laid to thy charge by these men ? But 
he held his peace and answered nothing. Again the high-priest 
asked him, and said to him: Art thou the Christ, the Son of the 
blessed God ? And Jesus said to him : I am. And you shall see the 
Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and com- 
ing with the clouds of heaven. Then the high-priest rending his gar- 
ments saith : What need we any farther witnesses ? You have heard 
the blasphemy. What think you ? -Who all condemned him to be 
guilty of death. And some began to spit on hira, and to cover his 
face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him : Prophesy ; and the ser- 
vants struck him with the palms of their hands. Now when Peter 
was in the court below, there cometh one of the maid-servants of the 
high-priest. And when she had seen Peter warming himself, looking 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 305 

on him she saith : Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. But he 
denied, saying: I neither know nor understand what thou sayest. 
And he went forth before the court ; and the cock crew. And again 
a maid-servant seeing him, began to say to the standers-by : This is 
one of them. But he denied again. And after awhile they that stood 
by said again to Peter: Surely thou art one of them: for thou art 
also a Galilean. But he began to curse and to swear, saying : I know 
not this man of whom you speak. And immediately the cock crew 
again. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said unto 
him: Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt thrice deny me. And 
he began to weep. And straightway in the morning the chief-priests 
holding a consultation with the ancients and the scribes and the 
whole council, binding Jesus, led him away and delivered him to 
Pilate. And Pilate asked him : Art thou the king of the Jews ? But 
he answering, saith to him: Thou sayest it. And the chief-priests 
accused him in many things. And Pilate agaiu asked him, saying: 
Answerest thou nothing? behold in how many things they accuse 
thee. But Jesus still answered nothing; so that Pilate wondered. 
Now on the festival day he was wont to release unto them one of the 
prisoners, whomsoever they demanded. And there was one called 
Barabbas, who was put in prison with some seditious men, who in 
the sedition had committed murder. And when the multitude was 
come up, they began to desire that he would do, as he had ever done 
unto them. And Pilate answered them, and said : Will you that I 
release to you the king of the Jews ? For he knew that the chief- 
priests had delivered him up out of envy. But the chief-priests 
moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 
And Pilate again answering, saith to them : What will you then that 
I do to the king of the Jews? But they again cried out: Crucify 
him. And Pilate said to them : Why, what evil hath he done ? But 
they cried out the more : Crucify him. So Pilate being willing to 
satisfy the people, released to them Barabbas, and delivered up Jesus, 
when he had scourged him, to be crucified. And the soldiers led him 
into the court of the palace, and they call together the whole band : 
and they clothe him with purple, and platting a crown of thorns, they 
put it upon him. And they began to salute him : Hail, king of the 
Jews. And they struck his head with a reed : and they did spit on 
him. And bowing their knees, they adored him. And after they had 
mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own gar- 
ments on him, and they led him out to crucify him. And they forced 
one Simon a Cyrenian who passed by, coming out of the country, the 
father of Alexander and of Rufus, to take up his cross. And they 



306 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

bring him into the place called Golgotha, which being interpreted is, 
the place of Calvary. And they gave him to drink wine mingled 
with myrrh ; but he took it not. And crucifying him, they divided 
his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. 
And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And the inscrip- 
tion of his cause was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 
And with him they crucify two thieves, the one on his right hand 
and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled which 
saith : " And with the wicked he was reputed." And they that 
passed by, blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying: Vah, 
thou that destroyest the temple of God, and in three days buildest it 
up again: save thyself, corning down from the cross. In like manner 
also the chief-priests mocking, said with the scribes one to another : 
He saved others, himself he cannot save. Let Christ the king of Is- 
rael come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe. 
And they that were crucified with him, reviled him. And when the 
sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole earth until 
the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud 
voice, saying: Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani ? Which is, being inter- 
preted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? And some of 
the standers-by hearing, said: Behold he calleth Elias. And one run- 
ning and filling a sponge with vinegar, and putting it upon a reed, 
gave him to drink, saying: Stay, let us see if Elias come to take him 
down. And Jesus having cried out with a loud voice, gave up the 
ghost. {Here all faieel.) And the veil of the temple was rent in two, 
from the top to the bottom. And the centurion who stood over 
against him, seeing that crying out in this manner he had given up 
the ghost, said : Indeed this man was the Son of God. And there 
were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magda- 
len, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joseph, and Salome: 
who also when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered to 
him, and many other women that came up with him to Jerusalem. 

And when evening was now come (because it was the Parasceve, 
that is, the day before the Sabbath), Joseph of Ariinathea, a noble 
counsellor, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, 
came and w r ent in boldly to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. 
But Pilate wondered that he should be already dead. And sending 
for the centurion, he asked him if he were already dead. And when 
he bad understood it by the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. 
And Joseph buying fine linen and taking him down, wrapped him up 
in the fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewed out of 
a rock. And he rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 307 

Meditation, 

It is consummated. I have clone every thing to save you. 
Oh, what love ! Hast thou also finished the work of thy day? 
Dost thou love Jesus, as he loved thee ? Dost thou fly from 
sin, and practice virtue ? 

Prayer over the People. 

May thy mercy, O God, purify us from all the encroach- 
ments of our former ways, and make us capable of a holy 
renovation. Through our Lord. 



Iutroit of the Mass. In the name of Jesus let every knee 
bow, of things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth ; for 
the Lord became obedient unto death, even the death of the 
cross ; tJierefore the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of the 
Father (Phil, ii.) Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry 
come to thee (Ps. ci.) In the name of Jesus. 

Prayer. 

Grant, Ave beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who are 
continually afflicted through our excesses, may be delivered by 
the passion of thy only-begotten Son. Who lives. 

Epistle. (Isaias Ixii. 11, 12 ; lxiii. 1-7.) 

Thus saitli the Lord God : Tell the daughter of Sion : behold thy 
Saviour coraeth : behold his reward is with him, and his work before 
him. And they shall call them, The holy people, the redeemed of the 
Lord. But thou shalt be called : A city sought after, and not forsaken. 
Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bosra, 
this beautiful one in his robe, walking in the greatness of his strength ? 
I, that speak justice, and am a defender to save. Why then is thy 
apparel red, and thy garments like theirs that tread in the wine-press? 
I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the Gentiles there is not 



308 « INSTRUCTIONS ON 

a man with me: I have trampled on them in my indignation, and 
have trodden them down in my wrath, and their blood is sprinkled 
upon my garments, and I have stained all my apparel. For the day 
of vengeance is in my heart, the year of my redemption is come. I 
looked about, and there was none to help : I sought, and there was 
none to give aid: and my own arm hath saved for me, and my 
indignation itself hath helped me. And I have trodden down the 
people in my wrath, and have made them drunk in my indignation, 
and have brought down their strength to the earth. I will remember 
the tender mercies of the Lord, the praise of the Lord for all the 
things that the Lord our God hath bestowed upon us. 

In this epistle the prophet describes a great conqueror who 
has conquered Edom and the Gentiles. By Edom and the 
Gentiles are here to be understood the spiritual enemies of the 
kingdom of God, who fall into his power, and the Divine Vic- 
tor can be no one but the Messiah. No one gave him assist- 
ance ; alone he trampled on the Gentiles ; subduing his ene- 
mies by his own power, with no aid from men. His unstained 
robe is beautiful, declaring both the divine justice and mercy, 
for God punishes only to benefit us. He brings at the same time 
both vengeance and redemption, — vengeance to the enemies 
of God, to the devil, and his children ; redemption to the pen- 
itent sinner, who therefore gives thanks, in which the whole 
congregation of God participate. Shall not we thank him 
also ? Yes, let us give thanks to the Father who sent his Son ; 
to the Son who offered himself up to accomplish our redemp- 
tion ; let us give thanks to our Saviour for every wound which 
he received for our sake, and for every drop of blood which he 
shed for us. Let our gratitude show itself in particular, by our 
exertions to become a holy people, pleasing to God. 

The Passion of our Lord according to St. Luke (xxii., xxiii. 1- 53). 

At that time the feast of unleavened bread, which is called the pasch, 
was at hand. And the chief-priests and the scribes sought how they 
might put Jesus to death : but they feared the people. And satan en- 
tered into Judas who was surnamed Iscariot, one of the twelve. And 
he went and discoursed with the chief-priests and the magistrates, how 
he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and covenanted 
to give him money. And he promised. And he sought opportunity 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 309 

to betray him in the absence of the multitude. And the day of the 
unleavened bread came, on which it was necessary that the pasch 
should be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying : Go and prepare 
for us the pasch, that we may eat. But they said : Where wilt thou 
that we prepare? And he said to them : Behold, as you go into the 
city, there shall meet you a man carrying a pitcher of water : follow 
him into the house where he entereth in : and you shall say to the 
good man of the house: The master saith to thee: Where is the 
guest chamber, where I may eat the pasch with my disciples? And 
he will show you a large dining-room furnished : and there prepare. 
And they going, found as he had said to them, and made ready the 
pasch. And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve 
apostles with him. And he said to them : With desire I have desired 
to eat this pasch with you before I sutfer. For I say to you, that from 
this time I will not eat it, till it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 
And having taken the chalice he gave thanks, and said : Take, and 
divide it among you. For I say to you, that I will not drink of the 
fruit of the vine, till the kingdom of God .come. And taking bread, 
he gave thanks, and brake; and gave to them, saying: This is my 
body which is given for you. Do this for a commemoration of me. 
In like manner the chalice also, after he had supped, saying: This is 
the chalice, the new testament in my blood, which shall be shed for 
you. But yet behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me 
on the table. And the Son of man indeed goeth, according to that 
which is determined : but yet wo to that man by whom he shall be 
betrayed. And they began to inquire among themselves which of 
them it was that should do this thing. And there was also a strife 
amongst them, which of them should seem to be greater. And he 
said to them : The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them ; and they 
that have power over them, are called beneficent. But you not so : 
but he that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger ; 
and he that is the leader, as he that serveth. For which is greater, 
he that sitteth at table, or he that serveth ? Is not he that sitteth at 
table ? but I am in the midst of you, as he that serveth : and you are 
they who have continued with me in my temptations: and I dispose 
to you, as my Father hath disposed to me, a kingdom : that you may 
eat and drink at my table in my kingdom : and may sit upon thrones 
judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And the Lord said: Simon, 
Simon, behold satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as 
wheat. But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not : and thou 
being once converted, confirm thy brethren. Who said to him : Lord, 
I am ready to go with thee both into prison and to death. And he 



310 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

said : I say to thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, till thou 
thrice deniest that thou knowest me. And he said to them : When I 
sent you without purse and scrip and shoes, did you want any thing? 
But they said : Nothing. Then said he unto them : But now he that 
hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise a scrip: and he that hath 
not, let him sell his coat, and huy a sword. For I say to you, that 
this that is written, must yet he fulfilled in me, " And with the wicked 
was he reckoned." For the things concerning me have an end. But 
they said : Lord, hehold here are two swords. And he said to them : 
It is enough. And going out he went according to his custom to the 
mount of Olives. And his disciples also followed him. And when he 
was come to the place, he said to them : Pray, lest ye enter into temp- 
tation. And he was withdrawn away from them a stone's cast; and 
kneeling down he prayed: saying: Father, if thou wilt, remove this 
chalice from me : But yet not my will, but thine he done. And there 
appeared to him an Angel from heaven strengthening him. And be- 
ing in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as 
drops of blood trickling down upon the ground. And when he rose 
up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping 
for sorrow. And he said to them : "Why sleep you ? arise, pray, lest 
you enter into temptation. As he was yet speaking, behold a multi- 
tude : and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before 
them, and drew near to Jesus to kiss him. And Jesus said to him : 
Judas, dost thou betray the Son of man with a kiss? And they that 
were about him, seeing what would follow, said to him: Lord, shall 
we strike with the sword? And one of them struck the servant of 
the high-priest, and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answering, said : 
Suffer ye thus far. And when he had touched his ear, he healed him. 
And Jesus said to the chief-priests, and magistrates of the temple, and 
the ancients that were come unto him : Are you come out, as it were 
against a thief, with swords and clubs? When I was daily with you 
in the temple, you did not stretch forth your hands against me : but 
this is your hour, and the power of darkness. And apprehending 
him, they led him to the high-priest's house. But Peter followed afar 
off. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and 
were sitting about it, Peter was in the midst of them. Whom when 
a certain servant maid had seen sitting at the light, and had earnestly 
beheld him, she said: This man also was with him. But he denied 
him, saying : Woman, I know him not. And after a little while an- 
other seeing him, said : Thou also art one of them. But Peter said: 
O man, I am not. And after the space as it were of one hour, another 
certain man affirmed, saying: Of a truth, this man was also with him : 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 311 

for he is also a Galilean. And Peter said: Man, I know not what 
thou say est. And immediately as he was yet speaking, the cock crew. 
And the Lord turning looked on Peter. And Peter remembered the 
word of the Lord, as he had said : Before the cock crow, thou shalt 
deny me thrice. And Peter going out wept bitterly. And the men 
that held him, mocked him, and struck him. And they blindfolded 
him, and smote his face. And they asked him, saying: Prophesy, 
who is it that struck thee? And blaspheming, many other things 
they said against him. And as soon as it was day, the ancients of the 
people, and the chief-priests, and scribes came together, and they 
brought him into their council, saying : If thou be the Christ, tell us. 
And he saith to them : If I shall tell you, you will not believe me. 
And if I shall also ask you, you will not answer me, nor let me go. 
But hereafter the Son of man shall be sitting on the right hand of the 
power of God. Then said they all : Art thou then the Son of God? 
Who said : You say, that I am. But they said : What need we any 
farther testimony ? For we ourselves have heard it from his own 
mouth. And the whole multitude of them rising up, led him to Pilate. 
And they began to accuse him, saying : We have found this man per- 
verting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cesar, and say- 
ing that he is Christ the king. And Pilate asked him, saying: Art 
thou the king of the Jews? But he answering, said : Thou sayest it. 
And Pilate said to the chief-priests and to the multitudes : I find no 
cause in this man. But they were more earnest, saying : He stirreth 
up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee 
to this place. But Pilate hearing Galilee, asked if the man were of 
Galilee? And when he understood that he was of Herod's jurisdic- 
tion he sent him away to Herod, who was also himself at Jerusalem, 
in those days. And Herod seeing Jesus was very glad, for he was de- 
sirous of a long time to see him, because he had heard many things of 
him: and he hoped to see some sign wrought by him. And he 
questioned him in many words. But he answered him nothing. And 
the chief-priests and the scribes stood by, earnestly accusing him. 
And Herod with his army set him at nought : and mocked him, put- 
ting on him a white garment, and sent him back to Pilate. And 
Herod and Pilate were made friends that same day : for before they 
were enemies one to another. And Pilate calling together the 
chief-priests, and the magistrates, and the people, said to them : 
You have presented unto me this man, as one that perverteth 
the people, and behold I, having examined him before you, find 
no cause in this man touching those things wherein you accuse him. 
No, nor Herod neither. For I sent you to him, and behold, noth- 



312 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ing worthy of death is done to him. I will chastise him there- 
fore, and release him. Now of necessity he was to release unto them 
one upon the feast-day. But the whole multitude together cried out, 
saying: Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas. Who 
for a certain sedition made in the city, and for a murder, was cast 
into prison. And Pilate again spoke to them, desiring to release Jesus. 
But they cried again, saying: Crucify him, crucify him. And he said 
to them the third time : Why, what evil hath this man done? I find no 
cause of death in him: I will chastise him therefore, and let him go. 
But they were instant with loud voices requiring that he might be 
crucified : and their voices prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that 
it should be as they required. And he released unto them him who 
for murder and sedition had been cast into prison, whom they had 
desired : but Jesus he delivered up to their will, and as they led him 
away, they laid hold of one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country : 
and they laid the cross on him to carry after Jesus. And there fol- 
lowed after him a great multitude of people, and of women who be- 
wailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning to them, said: Daughters 
of Jerusalem, weep not over me, but weep for yourselves and for your 
children. For behold the day shall come, wherein they will say: 
Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the 
paps that have not given suck. Then shall they begin to say to the 
mountains, Fall upon us: and to the hills, Cover us. For if in the 
green wood they do these things, what shall be done in the dry? And 
there were also two other malefactors led with him to be put to death. 
And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, they 
crucified him there: and the robbers, one the right hand, and the 
other on the left. And Jesus said: Father, forgive them, for they 
know not what they do. But they dividing his garments, cast lots. 
And the people stood beholding, and the rulers with them derided 
him, saying: He saved others, let him save himself, if he be Christ, 
the elect of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, 
and offering him vinegar, and saying : If thou be the king of the Jews, 
save thyself. And there was also a superscription written over him 
in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF 
THE JEWS. And one of these robbers who were hanged, blas- 
phemed him, saying: If thou be Christ, save thyself, and us. But 
the other answering, rebuked him, saying: Neither dost thou fear God, 
seeing thou art under the same condemnation ? And we indeed justly, 
for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done 
no evil. And he said to Jesus: Lord, remember me when thou shalt 
come into thy kingdom. And Jesus said to him : Amen I say to thee, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 313 

this day tlion shalt be with me in paradise. And it was almost the 
sixth hour: and there was darkness over all the earth nntil the ninth 
hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was 
rent in the midst. And Jesus crying with a loud voice, said : Father, 
into thy hands I commend my spirit. And saying this, he gave up 
the ghost {All kneel). Now the centurion seeing what was done, 
glorified God, saying: Indeed this was a just man. And all the mul- 
titude of them that were come together to that sight, and saw the 
things that were done, returned striking their breasts. And all his 
acquaintance, and the women that had followed him from Galilee, 
stood afar off beholding these things. 

And behold there was a man named Joseph, who was a counsellor, 
a good and a just man, (the same who had not consented to their 
counsel and doings,) of Arimathea, a city of Judea, who also himself 
looked for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate, and begged 
the body of Jesus. And taking him down, he wrapped him in fine 
linen, and laid him in a sepulchre that was hewed in stone, wherein 
never yet any man had been laid. 

Meditation. 

"Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." Oh, that 
we may thus pray, when we find ourselves on the cross, may 
so pray in all situations of life. 

Prayer over the People. 
Look down, we beseech thee, O Lord, upon this thy family, 
for which our Lord Jesus Christ did not hesitate to be deliv- 
ered up to the hands of the wicked, and to undergo the tor- 
ments of the cross. Who lives and reigns. 

(On the evenings of this and the two following days, the 
" Tenebrae" will be sung.) 

What are Tenebrre, and Avhat does the word signify? 

They consist of prayers and chants sung by the choir, on the 
evenings of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week, 
accompanied by mournful ceremonies. One part of them is 
taken from the Lamentations of Jeremias, which so powerfully 
move the heart to penance. The Church would thereby ex- 
press her grief over the passion and death of our Saviour, and 
14 



314 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

over the sins which were the cause thereof, in order to move 
the sinner to return to God. She therefore sings in sad and 
heart-rending tones, " Jerusalem," — that is, sinner, sinner, — 
" be converted to God, thy Lord." 

Why are these matins called " Tenebrm ?" 

Because they are usually said in the evening, by candle-light, 
and because, also, they are mournful, and call us to sorrow. 

Why is this service held at night ? 

In memory, 1. Of the evening when Christ was by force 
taken prisoner, like a murderer. 2. Of the darkness which 
lasted three hours at his crucifixion. 3. Of the spiritual dark- 
ness, confusion, and grief, which prevailed during our Saviour's 
passion, in the minds of his disciples. 4. Of the darkness 
which overspread mankind, while Jesus was suffering for them. 
Further, the Church would show her grief, and invite Chris- 
tians to penance, for which the darkness of the evening is the 
better adapted, in that it gives us more leisure, and better op- 
portunity to retire into ourselves. 

What is meant by extinguishing, one after another, first the 
twelve lights on the triangular candlestick, and then all the 
rest ? 

By the twelve lights are signified the twelve apostles, and 
the extinguishing of the same is to represent how all, one after 
another, deserted Jesus. But the putting out of all the lights 
reminds us of the darkness which prevailed upon the earth at 
the death of Jesus, of the blindness of the Jews, and of the 
gradual extinguishment of belief in him. 

What is the meaning of the last light which is hidden for 
awhile, and then brought forth again when all is ended ? 

It signifies Christ, whose divinity was, as it were, hidden 
during his passion, and whose body was buried in the grave, 
from which he soon after arose by his own power, and thereby 
showed himself more clearly than before, to be the Light of 
the world. 

What is signified by the noise made at the end of the tene- 
bra3, while the last light is hidden ? 

It signifies the earthquake at the death of Jesus ; and further, 
the jeerings, mockings, triumph, and shouting of the Jews 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 315 

around the cross, all which, however, became dumb at the 
Resurrection. On account of this ceremony these matins are 
sometimes called clapper-matins. 

How should we assist at tenebrae ? 

1. By meditating upon the passion and death of Jesus; par- 
ticularly on Wednesday, upon his bloody sweat, and his being 
made a prisoner ; on Thursday, on his other sufferings up to 
the time of his death ; on Friday, upon his death and burial. 
2. By sorrow and grief for our sins, on account of which 
Christ became obedient to the death of the cross, and by 
which he is crucified again. 



Qfrxttn or ittannbn ^Ijursbaji. 

Whence are these names taken ? 

Of this no certain account can now be given. What is most 
probable is, that the name of Green Thursday was derived 
partly from the custom observed by the faithful, of bringing 
from the field and garden offerings of fruits, which, in warm 
countries, could already be had ; partly, because with the 
beginning of the passion of our Lord, the salvation of man- 
kind began to flourish like the green plants. 

The name Maundy Thursday was probably taken either 
from the maunds or hand-baskets in which the above-mentioned 
offerings were carried ; or, as others suppose, from the Latin 
dies mundati, by which the day is described as the day of the 
institution of the Eucharist. 

What, therefore, does the Church celebrate on this day? 

The last supper of our JOord, and the beginning of his pas- 
sion. On this day Jesus ate with his disciples the paschal 
lamb, according to the requirement of the Mosaic law (Exod. 
xii.), washed his disciples' feet, and, to fulfil the type of the 
paschal lamb of the old law, gave them himself, his body and 
blood, under the appearances of bread and wine, to be their 
spiritual food, and commanded them to do the same in com- 
memoration of him. By this command he established the 
holy sacrifice of the mass, the sacrament of the altar, and the 



316 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

priesthood. For as he gave them to partake of his body 
which was delivered, and his blood which was shed, for the sins 
of the world, and ordained that they should show forth the 
same ; so also did he ordain that the bloody sacrifice should be 
shown forth as it was by him at his last supper, in an unbloody 
manner; that his body and blood should be given for the 
nourishment of the soul, and that all this should be adminis- 
tered by his apostles and their successors. 

After the last supper, Jesus admonished his disciples to love 
one another, and to be one as he and the Father were one. He 
strengthened them for his approaching passion, by the promise 
of the comforter to come ; he prayed for them, and then went 
to Mount Olivet, where in his agony he sweat blood : soon after 
he was betrayed by Judas ; made a prisoner by the Jews, 
taken first to Annas, then to Caiphas, condemned to death 
by the high council, and denied in the court-yard by Peter. 

This is, therefore, a day both of joy and sorrow, as the 
Church has ever indicated by her ceremonies. While the 
times of public penance which were so useful, were yet ob- 
served, penitents clothed with sackcloth, their heads sprinkled 
with ashes, presented themselves at the church door, where, 
mourning and sighing, they prayed to be admitted into the 
fellowship of the Church. The bishop prayed over them, 
absolved them from their sins, and gave them leave to par- 
take in the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist. This 
custom has disappeared with the abolition of public penance ; 
but not so the invitation to all, to partake with pure heart in 
the feast of infinite love, and thus to complete that joy which 
the Church proclaims in the Gloria in JExcelsis, accompanied 
by the ringing of bells. 

How must we, therefore, spend this day ? 

We must, 1, meditate with devotion and earnestness upon 
the events of this day ; thank Jesus for instituting the holy 
sacrament of the altar, the sacrifice of the mass, and the priest- 
hood, and endeavor not only to worship him, but to receive 
him. 2. We must prepare ourselves for receiving him wor- 
thily ; that is, with a heart which has renounced the world — 
which is no longer leavened with evil desires, but pure, full of 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 317 

love, humility, and sorrow. We must, 3, by following the ex- 
ample of Jesus as far as possible, wash the feet of the poor, or 
at least give alms ; attend, both morning and evening, the 
divine service ; join with the Church in meditating with sor- 
row on the passion of Jesus ; detest the sins which were the 
cause of his sufferings, and make a firm resolution, out of love 
and thankfulness, to live henceforth only for Jesus, and to seek 
our glory only in him. 

Of this the Church admonishes us, in the Introit of the Mass, 
in which she lays before us the words of St. Paul : JBut it be- 
hoves us to glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in 
whom is our salvation, life, and resurrection ; by whom we 
are saved and delivered (Gal. vi. 14). May God have mercy 
upon us, and bless us / may he cause the light of his counte- 
nance to shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us (Ps. 
lxvi. 2). JBut it behoves. 

Prayer. 

O God, from whom Judas received the punishment of his 
guilt, and the good thief the reward of his confession, grant us 
the effect of thy mercy, that as our Lord Jesus Christ, in his 
passion, gave to each different retribution, according to their 
deserts, so he would take from us our old errors, and grant us 
the grace of his resurrection. Who lives and reigns. 

Epistle. (1 Cor. xi. 20-32.) 

Brethren : When you come together into one place, it is not now to 
eat the Lord's supper. For every one taketh before his own supper to 
eat. And one indeed is hungry, and another is drunk. What ! have 
you not houses to eat and drink in? or despise ye the Church of God, 
and put them to shame that have not? What shall I say to you? 
Do I praise you? In this I praise you not. For I have received of 
the Lord that which also I delivered unto you : that the Lord Jesus, the 
same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and giving thanks, 
broke, and said: Take ye, and eat: this is my body, which shall be 
delivered for you : this do for the commemoration of me. In like 
manner, also, the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice 
is the new testament i«t my blood : this do ye, as often as you shall 
drink, for the commemoration of me. For as often as you shall eat 



318 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall show the death of the 
Lord, until he come. Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or 
drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body 
and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself, and so 
let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. For he that eat- 
eth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to him- 
self, not discerning the body of the Lord. Therefore are there many 
infirm and weak among you, and many sleep. But if we would judge 
ourselves, we should not be judged. But whilst we are judged, we 
are chastised by the Lord, that we be not condemned with this world. 

Explanation. 

The early Christians were accustomed, after holy commun- 
ion, to unite in a common repast ; the more able supplying 
what was necessary to eat and drink, while rich and poor par- 
took together, in token of their brotherly love. At Corinth, 
there sprang up an abuse of this custom ; certain Christians 
consumed, before communion, what they had brought with 
them, became drunk, and deprived the poor of their share. 
This scandalous conduct the apostle reproved as an unworthy 
preparation for communion, going back to the institution of 
the most holy Eucharist, and teaching what a horrible sacrilege 
it was for a man to eat and drink unworthily, thereby making 
himself gnilty of the body and blood of the Lord. That is, 
says St. Chrvsostom", he makes himself guilty of putting the 
Lord to death, and eateth and drinketh judgment to himself 
or, eternal damnation. Prove thyself, then, O Christian, as 
often as thou receivest holy communion, whether thou art in 
any mortal sin, or whether thou hast them all confessed and 
sincerely repented of. 

In consequence of this conduct of the Corinthians, the 
Church required that those who were about to receive holy 
communion, should be fasting from midnight. 

Gospel. (John xiii. 1-15.) 
Before the festival day of the pasch, Jesus knowing that his hour 
was come, that he should pass out of this world to the Father : having 
loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 
And when supper was done (the devil havingjiow put into the heart 
of Judas Iseariot, the son of Simon, to betray him), knowing that the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 319 

Father had given him all things into his hand?, and that he came from 
God, and goeth to God: he riseth from supper, and layeth aside his 
garments, and having taken a towel, girded himself. After that, he 
putteth water into a basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, 
and to wipe them with the tow T el wherewith he was girded. He 
cometh therefore to Simon Peter. And Peter saith to him : Lord, 
dost thou wash ray feet? Jesus answered, and said to him: What I 
do, thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter 
saith to him : Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him : 
If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me. Simon Peter 
saith to him : Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head. 
Jesus saith to him : He that is washed, needeth not but to wash his 
feet, but is clean wholly. And you are clean, but? not all. For he 
knew who he was that would betray him ; therefore he said: You are 
not all clean. Then after he had washed their feet and taken his gar- 
ments, being sat down again, he said to them : Know you what I 
have done to you ? You call me Master, and Lord ; and you say well, 
for so I am. If then I, being your Lord and Master, have washed 
your feet, you also ought to w r ash one another's feet ; for I have given 
you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also. 

"Why did Jesus wash his disciples' feet ? 

To show his humility and love ; to teach them how pure 
they should be in approaching the holy sacrament of the altar ; 
and, finally, to encourage them and their successors to imitate 
him. Hence arose the pious custom, that spiritual superiors 
and temporal rulers should on this day wash the feet of some 
of their subjects, usually of twelve poor persons, and afterwards 
serve them at table, or at least make them presents. 

Why is it that only one priest says mass to-day in each 
church, while the rest go to communion ; and why is the 
blessed Sacrament carried to the repository ? 

To imitate the example of Jesus Christ, who on this day 
gave to his apostles his flesh to eat, and his blood to drink. In 
like manner, all should to-day receive communion from one. 
The priests appear to-day in their stoles, the emblem of the 
spiritual dignity and power which were on this day given to the 
apostles, and through them to their successors. The removal 
of the most holy Sacrament to the repository, signifies Jesus' 
going to Mount Olivet, where his Godhead concealed itself. 



320 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Why is it that the bells are not rung until Saturday, but 
pieces of wood used instead ; and why are the altars denuded ? 

By not sounding the bells, and by the use of the wooden 
rattles, the Church would express her deep grief for the suf- 
ferings and death of Jesus, and remind us to mourn for the 
same in silence, and in a spiritual manner, with Christ, to die 
to the world and to self; she also further indicates thereby the 
silence of the apostles, who, though compared in the eighteenth 
Psalm to bells, out of fear were at this time dumb. The re- 
moval of decorations from the altars, signifies how Jesus, 
through his passion, had lost his form and beauty, and been 
stripped of his garments, on which account the twenty-first 
Psalm, in which all this is predicted, is said, while the altars 
are denuded. It is also a call to sorrow and penance. 

(In cathedral churches the oil for the sick and for chrism is 
consecrated on this day. Let us thank God for the institution 
of the sacraments in which these holy oils are used, and let us 
ask him for grace to receive them worthily.) 

Meditation. 

Christ struggles with death. Lift up your eyes and behold 
the man of sorrows, who sacrificed himself for you ! Wilt 
thou not also offer up thyself as a continual sacrifice? 



(&oob iFrrtmg, caikb also JJarasceue. 

What is the meaning of Parasceve ? 

It is a Greek word, and means preparation ; it is applied to 
this day as the one on which the Jews made preparation for 
the Sabbath of the Paschal week, the highest and holiest festi- 
val they had. 

What does the Church commemorate on this day ? 

The death of Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of the 
Father, and the Saviour of the world, who on this day was 
given up by the Jews to Pontius Pilate, was scourged by his 
heathen soldiers, and then, crowned w T ith thorns, and bowed 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 321 

down with the weight of his cross, was escorted, amidst blas- 
phemies and mockeries, to Mount Calvary, and there most 
cruelly crucified between two thieves, as if he had been their 
leader; through which bitter and ignominious passion and 
death he accomplished the redemption of mankind. 

Why did Christ suffer so much to redeem us ? 

1. To show how great an evil sin is, since to satisfy Divine 
justice, he must endure so much. 2. To manifest his great love 
for men, since the more one does and suffers for any one, the 
more love for him does he thereby show; for while he might have 
redeemed us with a single drop of his most precious blood, yet 
out of his infinite love for us, he shed it all. 3. To show the 
worth of the soul, and his earnest desire to save all. It can- 
not therefore be the fault of Christ that sinners are condemned, 
since he suffered so much to redeem all, without exception, 
and to obtain for them sufficient grace for salvation. 

What are the ceremonies of to-day, and what do they 
signify ? 

I. The priest, wearing black vestments, goes to the altar, 
on which no lights are burning, and falls upon his face. This 
is done to signify that the light of the world has been extin- 
guished, as it were, in death, and to move those present to 
sorrow and penance for their sins. 

II. A lesson is read from the Prophet Osee (vi. 1-6), in 
which the Church admonishes us to return to the Lord, to 
know him, and to do works of mercy, and remain steadfast in 
a Christian life. 

(The prayer after this lesson is the same as on Maundy 
Thursday.) 

After the prayer follows the second lesson from Exodus xii. 
1-11, in which Jesus is represented as the true paschal lamb, 
slain for us, to deliver us from a more frightful slavery than 
that of the Egyptians, the slavery of sin and the devil, and to 
make us children of God. The two lessons are read, to show 
that Jesus died as well for the Gentiles as for the Jews, and that 
both the law and the prophets predicted his death. 

III. After the lessons is read the Passion of Christ (John 
xviii., xix. 1-42). 

14- 



322 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

The Passion of our Lord according to St. John (xviii., xix.) 

At that time, Jesus went forth with his disciples, over the brook 
Cedron, where there was a garden into which he entered with his 
disciples. And Judas also, who betrayed him, knew the place: be- 
cause Jesus had often resorted thither together with his disciples. 
Judas therefore having received a band of soldiers and servants from 
the chief-priests and the Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and 
torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should 
come "upon him, went forth and said to them : Whom seek ye? They 
answered him : Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith to them : I am he. 
And Judas also who betrayed him, stood with him. As soon then as 
he had said to them : I am he : they went backward, and fell to the 
ground. Again therefore, he asked them : Whom seek ye? And they 
said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered : I have told you, that I am 
he. If therefore yon seek me, let these go their way. That the word 
might be fulfilled which he had said : of them whom thou hast given 
me, I have not lost any one. Then Simon Peter having a sword, 
drew it, and struck the servant of the high-priest, and cut off his 
right ear. And the name of the servant was Malchus. Then Jesus 
said to Peter: Put up thy sword into the scabbard. The chalice 
which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Then the band, 
and the tribune, and the servants of the Jews took Jesus, and bound 
him: and they led him away to Annas first, for he was father-in-law 
to Caiphas, who was the high-priest of that year. Now Caiphas 
was he who had given the counsel to the Jews : That it was expedient 
that one man should die for the people. And Simon Peter followed 
Jesus, and so did another disciple. And that disciple was known to 
the high-priest, and went in with Jesus into the court of the high- 
priest. But Peter stood at the door without. The other disciple 
therefore who was known to the high-priest, went out, and spoke to 
the portress, and brought in Peter. The maid therefore that was 
portress, saith to Peter: Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? 
He saith : 1 am not. Now the servants and ministers stood at a fire 
of coals, because it was cold, and warmed themselves. And with 
them was Peter also standing, and warming himself. 

The high-priest therefore asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doc- 
trine. Jesus answered him : I have spoken openly to the world : I 
have always taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither all 
the Jews resort: and in secret I have spoken nothing. Why askest 
thou me ? ask them who have heard what I have spoken to them : 
behold they know what things I have said. And when he had said 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 323 

these things, one of the servants standing by, gave Jesus a blow, say- 
ing: Answerest thou the high-priest so? Jesus answered him: If I 
have spoken evil, give testimony of the evil : but if well, why strikest 
thou me? And Annas sent him bound to Oaiphas the high-priest. 
And Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said 
therefore to him: Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied 
it, and said : I am not. One of the servants of the high-priest, a 
kinsman to him whose ear Peter cut off, saith to him: Did not I see 
thee in the garden with him? Again therefore Peter denied, and im- 
mediately the cock crew. Then they led Jesus from Oaiphas to the 
governor's hall. And it was morning : and they went not into the 
hall, that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the pasch. 
Pilate therefore went out to them, and said: What accusation bring 
you against this man ? They answered and said to him : If he were 
not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up to thee. Pilate 
therefore said to them : Take him you, and judge him according to your 
law. The Jews therefore said to him : It is not lawful for us to put 
any man to death. That the word of Jesus might be fulfilled which 
he said signifying what death he should die. Pilate therefore went 
into the hall again, and called Jesus, and said to him: Art thou the 
king of the Jews ? Jesus answered : Sayest thou this thing of thy- 
self, or have others told it thee of me? Pilate answered: Am I a 
Jew? Thy own nation and the chief-priests have delivered thee up 
to me. "What hast thou done? Jesus answered : My kingdom is not 
of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants 
would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews: 
but now my kingdom is not from hence. Pilate therefore said to him : 
Art thou a king then? Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a 
king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world, that I 
should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, 
heareth my voice. Pilate saith to him : What is truth ? And when 
he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and saith to them: 
I find no cause in him. But you have a custom that I should release 
one unto you at the pasch : will you therefore that I release unto you 
the king of the Jews? Then cried they all again, saying: Not this 
man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. 

Then, therefore, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him. And the sol- 
diers platting a crown of thorns, put it upon his head : and they put 
on him a purple garment, and they came to him, and said: Hail, king 
of the Jews ! And they gave him blows. Pilate, therefore, went forth 
again, and saith to them : Behold I bring him forth unto you, that 
you may know that I find no cause in him. Jesus therefore came 



824 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

forth, bearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment. And he 
saith to them : Behold the man. When the chief priests, therefore, 
and the servants had seen him, they cried out, saying: Crucify him,- 
crucify him. Pilate saith to them : Take him you, and crucify him ; 
for I find no cause in him. The Jews answered him : We have a law ; 
and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself 
the Son of God. When Pilate therefore had heard this saying, he 
feared the more. And he entered into the hall again, and he said to 
Jesus : Whence art thou ? But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate 
therefore said to him : Speakest thou not to me ? knowest thou not 
that I have power to crucify thee, and I have power to release thee ? 
Jesus answered : Thou shouldst not have any power against me, un- 
less it were given thee from above. Therefore he that hath delivered 
me to thee, hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought 
to release him. But the Jews cried out, saying : If thou release this 
man, thou art not Caesar's friend. For whosoever maketh himself a 
king, speaketh against Caesar. 

Now when Pilate had heard these words, he brought Jesus forth, 
and sat down in the judgment-seat, in the place that is called Lithos- 
trotos, and in Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the parasceve of the 
passover, about the sixth hour, and he saith to the Jews : Behold 
your king. But they cried out : Away with him, away with him, 
crucify him. Pilate saith to them: Shall I crucify your king? The 
chief-priests answered : We have no king but Caesar. Then, there- 
fore, he delivered him to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, 
and led him forth. And bearing his own cross, he went forth to that 
place which is called Calvary, but in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they 
crucified him, and with him two others, one on each side, and Jesus 
in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title also, and he put it upon the 
cross. And the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. 
This title, therefore, many of the Jews did read, because the place 
where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city : and it was written in 
Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin. Then the chief priests of the Jews 
said to Pilate : Write not, The king of the Jews ; but that he said, I 
am the king of the Jews. Pilate answered: What I have written, I 
have written. The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified him, 
took his garments (and they made four parts, to every soldier a part), 
and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the 
top throughout. They said then one to another : Let us not cut it, 
but let us cast lots for it, wmose it shall be : that the Scripture might 
be fulfilled which saith : They have parted my garments among them, 
and upon my vesture they have cast lots. And the soldiers indeed 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 325 

did these things. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, 
and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When 
Jesus therefore had seen his mother, and the disciple standing, whom he 
loved, he saith to his mother : Woman ! behold thy son. After that, 
he saith to his disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour the 
disciple took her to his own. Afterwards Jesus knowing that all 
things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, 
said : I thirst. Now there was a vessel set there full of vinegar. 
And they putting a sponge full of vinegar, about hyssop, put it to his 
mouth. When Jesus therefore had taken the vinegar, he said : It is 
consummated. And bowing his head, he gave up the ghost. {Here 
all kneel, and pause a little, to meditate on the redemption of man- 
kind.) 

Then the Jews (because it was the parasceve), that the bodies might 
not remain upon the cross on the sabbath-day (for that was a great 
sabbath-day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and 
that they might be taken away. The soldiers, therefore, came; and 
they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified 
with him. But after the}' were come to Jesus, when they saw that 
he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the 
soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came 
out blood and water. And he that saw it hath given testimony, and 
his testimony is true. And he knoweth that he saith true, that you 
also may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture 
might be fulfilled : You shall not break a bone of him. And again 
another Scripture saith : They shall look on him whom they pierced. 

And after these things, Joseph of Arimathea (because he was a dis- 
ciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews) besought Pilate that 
he might take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave leave. He 
came therefore and took away the body of Jesus. And Nicodemus 
also came, he who at the first came to Jesus by night, bringing a mix- 
ture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pound weight. They took 
therefore the body of Jesus, and wrapt it in linen clothes with the 
spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now there was in the 
place where he was crucified a garden ; and in the garden a new 
sepulchre, wherein no man yet had been laid. There, therefore, be- 
cause of the parasceve of the Jews, they laid Jesus ; because the 
sepulchre was nigh at hand. 

IV. When the Passion is finished, the priest, after the ex- 
ample of Jesus, who prayed on the cross for all men, prays 
first, 1, for the Church; 2, for the Pope; 3, for the bishops, 



326 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

priests, deacons, and the body of the faithful ; 4, for the civil 
rulers, and the catechumens ; 5, for preservation from famine 
and sickness ; 6, for heretics and schismatics ; V, for Jews and 
Heathen. 

In these prayers all are exhorted to join, by the words " lift 
up your hearts." At the prayer for the Jews the genuflection 
is omitted, because they bowed the knee before Christ in 
mockery. 

The " amen," in response, is also omitted for the reason that 
the Church, though she is praying to God for the Jews, does 
not expect their conversion till the end of time. 

With the above-mentioned prayers, say also the following : 

Prayer for all Men. 

Almighty, everlasting God, who through Christ hast made 
known thy majesty to all nations, protect thy Church spread 
over the whole earth, that she may persevere with unshaken 
faith in the confession of thy holy name. Preserve our chief 
pastor N., that the Christian people who are under thee, ruled 
by his guidance, may have the merit of their faith increased 
by active charity. Hear our humble supplications for all de- 
grees of men in thy Church, that under thy divine direction 
all may serve thee faithfully. Look down with favor and grace 
upon our country, that our rulers, by upright and gentle 
government, and our people by uniform obedience, may in- 
crease the general welfare, and advance true piety to the glo-ry 
of thy holy name. Grant that all who have been in holy 
baptism, new-born and received into the holy fellowship of 
Christians, may be well instructed in the truths of the faith, 
in knowledge of thy blessed teaching, and may daily increase 
in zeal for fulfilling thy holy commandments. Free those 
bowed down with trouble, from the load that oppresses them ; 
let them find consolation and comfort in adoring thy holy 
name, and draw strength and encouragement from the example 
of thy Son, patient, even to death on the cross : hear the 
prayers of all in need of help, that being delivered from their 
necessity, they may, with joy, give thanks to thee for thy in- 
numerable mercies. O God, who wiliest not that any should 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 327 

perish, be merciful to those who are held captive by error, that 
they may renounce their false persuasions and surrender their 
hearts to the oneness of thy truth. Hear also our prayers for 
the deluded Jews, that they may know the true light, which is 
Christ, and be rescued from their darkness. O God, who 
de si rest the salvation of the sinner, deliver the people who 
languish in heathenish ignorance from the yoke of Idolatry, 
and gather them into thy holy Church, for the honor and 
praise of thy name. Grant this, Almighty God, for the sake 
of thy Son, who prayed on the cross for all men. Amen. 

V. After the prayers, the priest, from the epistle side ot 
the altar, extends towards the people the veiled crucifix, 
uncovered at the top, and sings with a loud voice, "Behold 
the wood of the cross, whereon hung the Saviour of the 
world." The choir then answers, " Come, let us adore ;" 
whereupon all, except the celebrant, kneel down. The 
priest then advances to the corner of the altar, uncovers the 
right arm of the crucifix, and sings in a higher tone than be- 
fore, " Behold the wood of the cross." The choir answers as 
before. Then, at the middle of the altar, he uncovers the 
whole crucifix, and, elevating it, sings in a still higher tone, 
" Behold the wood of the cross," to wdiich the same answer is 
given as at first. This elevation of the crucifix refers to Jesus, 
who delivers us from everlasting death, as the brazen serpent, 
set up by Moses in the wilderness, saved all who looked upon 
it from the death of the body. The covering of the crucifix 
signifies that the crucified Saviour was at first unknown and 
despised by the world ; the gradual uncovering of it repre- 
sents the gradual propagation of the knowledge and adoration 
of Jesus among mankind. 

VI. The uncovered crucifix is then laid down by the priest 
upon a cushion prepared for that purpose, in front of the altar ; 
he next puts off his shoes, and proceeds to kiss the cross, kneel- 
ing three times ; meanwhile the choir sings, " O my people." 
The laying down of the crucifix in the middle of the sanctuary 
reminds the faithful that Christ crucified, the Fountain of Life, 
the Centre of the Church, is in her midst, and will remain 



328 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

with her till the end of time. The putting off the shoes is a 
mark of veneration for the presence of the God-man — the same 
that Moses also was commanded to observe before the burning 
thorn-bush, — an acknowledgment of our sinfulness and unwor- 
thiness, and an emblem that we must lay aside every sin if we 
would worthily adore Christ, and become partakers of the 
fruits of his death on the cross. By the thrice-repeated adora- 
tion, the Church would make amends, as it were, for the three- 
fold indignity which Jesus suffered, where he was derided, 
1. In the hall of the high-priest Annas, as a false prophet ; 2. 
In the house of Pilate, as a pretended king ; 3. On Mount 
Calvary, as one who falsely claimed to be the Son of God. 

Accordingly the choir, during the adoration, sings sorrowful 
chants, in which the Messiah, who has done nothing but good 
to mankind, complains bitterly, first, of the ungrateful Jews, 
but at the same time also of those Christians who bear his 
glorious name, but in works deny and crucify him again, 
threatening them with his just punishment, that they may yet 
be converted. Between these chants there is sung, alternately 
in Latin and Greek, — but not in Hebrew, since the Hebrews 
did not acknowledge Christ, — " Holy God, Holy Strong One, 
Holy Immortal, have mercy on us ;" partly, by these heart- 
rending lamentations, to honor Jesus for the pains he endured 
in his passion ; partly to obtain forgiveness for the wrongs 
done him by unthankful Christians. After the priest follow 
the clergy and the faithful, closing their adoration by kissing 
the crucifix. Do you go also, fall upon your knees before 
your crucified Saviour, humbly adore him, kiss his wounds, 
and say devoutly — 

O Lord Jesus Christ, I adore and praise thee, that by thy 
holy cross thou hast redeemed me and all mankind. I desire 
to render thee, from the bottom of my heart, all the praise, 
honor, and thanks which the whole world offers to thee 
to-day. Grant me thy grace to amend my life, to love all 
men, even my enemies, and above all, to profess myself a sin- 
cere adorer of thy cross, and never to be ashamed of it, though 
for the sake of it I should be subject to mockery and derision. 
Amen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 329 

VII. When the adoration is ended, the cross is releaced on 
the middle of the altar, the candles are lighted, and the holy 
Sacrament is brought in procession from the place where it was 
yesterday deposited. "While the procession is returning, there 
is sung the beautiful hymn, " Yexilla regis prodennt," inviting 
all tongues to proclaim the triumph achieved by the death 
upon the cross, and to honor and praise Jesus therefor. On 
returning to the altar, the priest lays one of the two hosts con- 
secrated yesterday upon the corporal, incenses it in token of the 
reverence due to the holy Sacrament, washes his hands a little 
way from the epistle corner in silence, after some short prayers 
elevates the sacred host, breaks it as usual, communicates as 
usual, says a short prayer of thanksgiving, and, while the choir 
is singing, places the most holy Sacrament in the repository, for 
the adoration of the faithful, that by contemplation of the 
death upon the cross, and burial, the visible representation ot 
which cannot but assist us, we may be moved and quickened 
to devotion. With this the service ends. 

Is there then no mass said to-day? 

Xo ; for there is no consecration either of bread or wine, 
which is of the substance of the holy sacrifice of the mass, but 
one of the hosts consecrated yesterday is received by the priest. 

Why is there no mass said ? 

Because to-day the Church directs her attention exclusively 
to the bloody sacrifice. She places herself in spirit at the foot 
of the cross, where she beholds her Redeemer grow pale and 
die. That is the only object of her meditation and devotion. 
She therefore thinks it unseemly to offer up to-day the unbloody 
sacrifice, which is a sacrifice of joy and consolation, when she 
is full of s rrow and grief. 

During the day, do for the Jove of Jesus all the good you 
can ; for example, to the poor, to the sick, to prisoners, to 
unfortunate but worthy debtors, make the way of the cross, 
visit the holy sepulchre, and meditate upon the passion ot 
Christ. 

St. Augustine says, " Behold the wounds of Jesus hanging 
on the cross, the blood of the dying, the price of redemption. 
Behold how he bows down his head that we may kiss it ; how 



330 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

his side is opened to receive us in love ; how his arms are ex- 
tended to embrace us, his whole body given up for our redemp- 
tion. Consider this, that Jesus may be in your heart, as he 
was nailed to the cross for you." 

Instruction how to meditate with advantage on the Passion 

of Christ. 

"Oti, all ye that pass by, attend and see if there be any sorrow like to my 
sorrow." — Lament, i. 12. 

I. The profit of meditating on the Passion of Christ. 

1. A proper meditation on the passion of Christ is every way 
fitted to make men better. Whoever considers that Jesus suf- 
fered such unspeakable pains, and so cruel a death, to deliver 
him, cannot indeed continue longer in sin ; he must hate it as 
the cause of the death of Jesus ; must feel kindled within him 
an inextinguishable lire of love for one who endured every thing 
out of love for him ; must resolve earnestly to follow Jesus in 
humility, meekness, love for his enemies, patience, and obedi- 
ence. This powerful effect of meditating on the passion of 
Jesus, all the saints have experienced in great degrees. 

2. The Passion of Christ gives us unusual strength in com- 
bat with temptation. On this point, St. Augustine says, beau- 
tifully, "In all my adversities, I have not found any remedies 
so powerful as the passion and wounds of Jesus. In them I 
sleep securely, and rest without fear. Christ died for us. 
Death lias, in itself, no bitterness that Christ has not changed 
to sweetness. All my hope rests on the death of my Lord. 
His death is my merit, my refuge, my salvation, my life, and 
my resurrection. Does a sinful thought disturb me, I hide 
myself in the wounds of Christ. Does the flesh press me 
down, I rise again by remembering the -wounds of my Lord. 
Does the devil secretly try to ensnare me, I fly to the inner- 
most mercy of my Lord, and Satan retires. Does the fire of 
impurity move my flesh, it will be quenched by again medi- 
tating on the wounds of my Lord. All my hope and the cer- 
tainty of my confidence rest on the precious blood of my Lord 
Jesus. In it I refresh myself when the weight of my sins 






THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 661 

would cast me down and throw me into despair. Through 
that same blood, I hope for the forgiveness of all my sins, and 
to come one day, my God, to thee." 

II. The method of meditating rightly on the JPassion of 
Christ. 

1. First place before yourself what Jesus smTered from the 
Jews, the Gentiles, and even his own disciples, who all forsook 
him. Then consider his suffering at the agony in the Garden 
of Gethsemani, at the treachery of Judas, at the scorn, and 
railing, and contempt which were poured upon him during 
the whole time of his passion. Think on his pains at the 
scourging, on the way to Golgotha, at being deprived of his 
garments, at the crowning with thorns, at the crucifying: 
finally, reflect on that excess of sorrow which he endured, in 
feeling that he was for a moment forsaken by his Father. 
There is no sorrow or grief of soul, no pain of body, that he 
did not endure. 

2. Yet we must not stop here, but earnestly reflect why 
Jesus went through so many and so great sufferings. He, the 
Son of God, holiness and innocence itself, suffered not for his 
own sake, but to deliver mankind, who, since Adam's fall, have 
walked in the way of perdition, from sin, death, and hell, to 
take away their guilt and punishment, and of children of the 
devil, to make them children of God. He came into the world, 
suffered, and died that we might have life. Oh, what sacrificing 
love ! Consider the greatness of it : think that Jesus has suf- 
fered all this for thee : that without the merits of his passion 
and death thou wouldst go to eternal ruin : that he has pro- 
cured for thee these merits when thou hadst no merits of thine 
own, even when thou didst so often offend him : imagine to 
yourself that he says to you from the cross, " O Christian, 
what more could I have done for thee ! See at what a price I 
have redeemed thee !" 

If one seriously ponders these things, his heart must be 
harder than stone, if he is not thereby moved to hatred of sin, 
and to love for Jesus. 

3. But this is not the perfect fruit of meditation on the 
passion of Jesus. By contemplating his passion, we ought to 



332 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. In the school of 
the suffering Redeemer we should learn to be humble, meek, 
patient, obedient unto death, to love our enemies, to return 
good for evil. Then, and then only, has one rightly meditated 
on the passion of Christ, when he has come to resemble the 
object of his meditation — Jesus his Lord and Master. 

As often, therefore, as thou thinkest on the passion of Christ, 
whether in making the stations of the cross, or in reciting the 
Rosary, or before an image of the suffering Redeemer, en- 
deavor not only to have pity for his sufferings ; not only to 
give him assurance of your love, but also to impress deep upon 
your heart, and to imitate the virtues practiced by him in his 
passion. 

The Spectators of the Crucifixion and the Men of the 
Present Day. 

On Golgotha, before the temple and city of Jerusalem, in 
presence of from two to three millions of Jews, gathered from 
all countries of the earth to that city, to attend the feast of the 
Passover, Jesus, the Son of God, hung nailed to the cross, a 
propitiatory sacrifice for mankind, loaded with all their sins. 
Near the cross of her dying Son stood Mary his mother, filled 
with sorrow; at her side John, the beloved disciple, and at the 
foot of the cross Mary Magdalen, the penitent, bowed down, 
as if senseless, to the ground, in grief and sorrow convulsively 
clasping the wood of the cross with her hands. At the right 
of Jesus hung a thief, turning to the Saviour in penance, while 
at his left groaned another malefactor, blaspheming the Holy 
One of Israel with a hardened heart. Around the Saviour, as 
he struggled with death, stood the Doctors of the Law and the 
Pharisees, a hypocritical company of crafty reprobates, through 
whose hatred Jesus, the innocent Lamb, was persecuted even 
in the hour of his death, and who, blind to all the predictions 
of the prophets, which yet they had read ; insensible to all the 
miracles which Jesus had wrought before their eyes, as evi- 
dence of his mission, and filled with unbelief and malignity, 
blasphemed the dying Redeemer. Along with these, at some 
distance from the cross, stood a multitude of indifferent per- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 333 

sons, who, having come to Jerusalem to attend the feast of the 
Passover, had heard of Jesus, and were come to witness his 
crucifixion. Xot far off from them, the barbarous soldiers and 
executioners were assembled, to divide among themselves his 
garments. 

Such were the witnesses of the crucifixion of our God and 
Saviour ; divided into different classes^ they represent men of 
the present day. 

There were but three persons near the cross who remained 
immovable in faith and truest love to the Saviour, ready to die 
with and for him. Only three were there who, though de- 
rided and mocked, taunted and jeered at, retreated not from 
the cross ; these three were Mary, John, and Magdalen. An- 
swering to these in our day are those who, pure and innocent 
like Mary and John, or weeping over their sins like Magdalen, 
acknowledge Jesus to be their Saviour, faithfully adhere to 
him, and suffer not themselves to be separated from him, either 
by persecution, or even by death. As in that hour at the cross, 
so also now, the number of the faithful is small; but great, too 
great, is the number who, like the indifferent spectators of the 
crucifixion, are neither open. enemies of Jesus, nor yet his de- 
cided friends. Fear of men, human respect, attachment to the 
world and its pleasures, prevent them from declaring them- 
selves on his side. Although baptized in the name of Jesus, 
and observing outwardly the laws of the Church established 
by him, they have fallen into indifference, have no living faith, 
and, like a reed shaken with the wind, vibrate between Jesus 
and the world. They dread the raillery of so-called enlight- 
ened and cultivated persons, among whom are many, like the 
Doctors of the Law and the Pharisees, destitute of all faith in 
Jesus, bearing in their hearts only hatred and contempt for 
the Church of God ; they avoid taking up the cross, which is 
too heavy for their effeminacy ; they commit, indeed, no pub- 
lic crime, value highly their good name, occasionally comply 
with some precepts of the Church, but they are open to every 
error, and lend a willing ear to every calumny against the re- 
ligion of Jesus and its ministers. Instead of defending fear- 
lessly, everywhere and at all times, Jesus, and the holy faith 



334 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

which he revealed and taught, they draw back, keep silence, 
and even favor the enemies of the Church, in order not to be 
mocked by them. Thus, neither cold nor warm, they verify 
the words of the Scripture, Because thou art lukewarm, and 
neither cold nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my 
mouth. 

Among the large number of indifferent and lukewarm 
Catholics, there are also to be found many like those Pharisees 
and Doctors of the Law at the cross. They are such as at the 
present time deliberately extinguish the light of truth, and 
who having rejected the faith of Jews, are become incapable 
of receiving instruction. Pride and insolence have blinded 
them : with their feeble reason they desire to comprehend the 
mysteries of God ; with their poor intellect to investigate his 
ways, to be even equal to God ; denying revealed truth, deny- 
ing the existence of heaven and hell, like brutes, they live and 
die without God, and their end is perdition. But few among 
them return penitent to Jesus, acknowledging their sin, like 
the thief on his right hand : rather, like the murderer on his 
left, they cease not to blaspheme the Crucified, and to slander 
his holy Church. On the same side are found those apostates 
and heretics, who, like the cruel soldiers, part his garments 
among them, and cast lots for his seamless vesture. 

Those garments which the soldiers divided, are the truths 
which apostates and heretics acknowledge in spite of their 
separation from the Church. For they are divided into sects, 
possessing but fragments and portions only of that one whole 
and perfect body of truth which Jesus gave to his Church. 
" They cast lots upon the seamless vesture." 

This seamless vesture is his holy Church, which never can be 
divided. She is one, and shall remain so until the end of time. 
About this one true Church, all sects and heresies contend. 
They all would claim to belong to her: but they forget that 
as the seamless vesture of Christ could be gained by but one 
of the soldiers, so there can be but one Church — the Church 
of Christ — who chose his apostles to be its pillars, and their 
successors, the bishops and priests, its only true and lawful 
ministers. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 335 

Thus do those who were present at the crucifixion represent 
men in our day. As on Golgotha, so are there now different 
classes, the pure and innocent, penitent and hardened sinners, 
the decided followers of Christ, and the lukewarm, having only 
the name of Christians, infidels, apostates, and heretics. 

To which of these, O Christian, do you belong ? and to 
which do you desire to belong ? Be decided ; for the hour of 
death is nigh. The Lord has already put the axe to the tree. 
He hath the winnowing shovel in his hand, to clear his floor. 
Are you not a follower of Christ and a child of his holy 
Church ? You will be borne away like chaff by the wind. 
Are you a firm and constant follower of the Church, you will 
triumph forever as a victorious knight of the cross, with Mary, 
the mother of the faithful, with John and Magdalen, on that 
day when the Cross shall appear in the clouds of heaven. Be 
decided ! 

Aspirations at the Cross of Jesus. 

By Thomas a Kempis. 

My God and my Saviour, thou didst carry the cross, that I, 
denying myself and bearing my own cross, might follow thee. 
Thou wast nailed to that cross, that I might be crucified to the 
world, and the world to me. Thy body was raised above the 
ground, that my heart might be lifted up to the things in 
heaven. In thy most bitter anguish thou didst feel the pain of 
being forsaken even by thy Heavenly Father, that in all my 
sufferings and in my death I might have in thee a tried and 
merciful high-priest. Thy heart melted in compassion towards 
thy mother and thy faithful disciple John, to move me also to 
compassion. Thou didst pray for thine enemies, that with my 
whole heart I might forgive mine, and leave judgment to thee. 
Thou didst consummate the work of redemption to obtain for- 
giveness, grace, and eternal life for me. Thou didst permit 
thy side to be opened that thy blood might ransom me, and 
that the water might wash me from my sins. Thou didst bow 
thy head, O merciful God ; bow it down to me, in token that 
thou acceptest my love. Without thee, I cannot live ; to die 



336 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

for thee would be my gain. At thy grave, O most adorable 
Redeemer of mankind, I will mortify and bury the old man, 
with all desire for sin, and all the pleasure of doing evil. I 
will — oh, strengthen my feeble will with thy sanctifying grace 
— I will prepare for thee a sepulchre in my heart, that through 
thee the new man may be raised up, that with thee I may 
arise from death, and walk, in newness of life, to a happy 
eternity. Amen. 



$olB Saturbag. 

Why is this day called Holy Saturday ? 

Because Jesus Christ, the Holy of Holies, was on this day in 
the grave, and because on this day the new fire and the bap- 
tismal fonts are blessed. — (Rupertus.) 

What is the new fire? 

It is the lire caught from the sparks of a flint, and then 
blessed by the priest, from which afterwards the candles and 
lamps in the church are lighted. 

Why is this done, and what does it signify ? 

In the earliest days of Christianity it was customary to bless 
the new fire every day, and later, as Thomassin writes, at 
least every Saturday. In the eleventh century the ceremony 
was first confined to Holy Saturday. The fire is first caught 
from a flint to indicate that Christ, the light of the world, 
though rejected by the Jews, is the head of the corner (Ps. 
cxvii. 22). The fire is blessed, because it is the practice of the 
Church to bless whatever pertains to the Divine service, and 
because it is becoming to bless the fire and light, since they 
represent Christ, w T ho brought the fire of love from heaven, 
therewith to kindle our hearts. That this is done on Holy 
Saturday is to signify, that Christ, the light of the world, who 
was, as it were, extinguished in the grave, after his resurrec- 
tion, shed the beams of his blessed light on all the world. 

What is signified by the three candles, or triple candlestick ? 

The most holy Trinity, one in the Divine nature, but three 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 337 

in person, the second of whom came from heaven, as the true 
light, to enlighten all men. The priest sings, therefore, at the 
lighting of the three candles, " Lumen Christi — Light of 
Christ," and the chanters answer, u Deo gratias — Thanks be 
to God." 

Why are all the candles of the church lighted from the triple 
candle ? 

To signify that all enlightening comes from the most holy 
Trinity, aud in particular, that all light, truth, grace, and love, 
were at the beginning given by Jesns Christ to his apostles, 
disciples, and faithful, and through them have been handed on 
to their successors. 

What does the Paschal or Easter candle signify ? 

It represents Jesus Christ, who died, but rose again, and 
now lives forever, the light of the world, giving light to all, 
and delivering us from the darkness of sin. The wax signifies 
his body, which he took from the most pure Virgin Mary ; the 
wick, his soul, the light, his divinity. 

At the blessing of the Paschal candle, the Church points to 
the cloudy pillar, which gave light to the children of Israel on 
their flight from Egypt, as a type of Jesus, who has brought 
us from the servitude of Satan and the darkness of sin, urito 
the freedom and light of children of God; and she exhorts us 
to joy, praise, and thanks for this redemption, without which 
it would have profited us nothing to have been born, and to 
walk carefully by the light of the Gospel. 

The five holes in the Easter candle, in the form of a cross, 
represent the five holy wounds which Christ retains for our 
consolation. The five grains of incense inserted therein, sig- 
nify the spices used in embalming the corpse of our Saviour. 

Why are the twelve prophecies read to day ? 

To indicate that all predictions in regard to Christ, which 
were made since the beginning of the world, were now fulfilled 
in him. The number of the prophecies probably points to the 
twelve Apostles, by whom the fulfilment of them was an- 
nounced to the Avorld. 

What does the baptismal font signify, and why is it so 
solemnly blessed ? 
15 



338 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

It signifies the blood of Christ, by which t>ur souls are 
cleansed and the power of Satan destroyed, as Pharao and his 
army were swallowed up by the sea. In the earliest ages, the 
catechumens (those who desired to become Christians, and 
had been duly instructed) were baptized on this day. The 
use of so many ceremonies in consecrating the font is in- 
tended to make better known among Christians the different 
effects of baptism, and to cause this holy sacrament to be re- 
ceived with greater reverence and devotion. 

What are these ceremonies, and what do they signify ? 

After the priest has prayed to God to increase the number 
of the faithful, he divides the water in the form of a cross, and 
afterwards touches it with his hand, praying to God to bring 
to naught all assaults of the devil, and that the water may be- 
come pure and purifying, holy, living, carrying with it the 
virtue of regeneration, that the persons to be baptized therein 
may, by the application of the same, through the power of 
the Holy Ghost, be made clean from all their sins. Thereupon 
he makes three crosses over the water, in the name of the 
living, true, and holy God, whose spirit at the creation moved 
over the waters ; divides it with his hand, and pours out some 
of it towards each of the four quarters of the globe, in token 
that as the four streams went forth from Paradise, to water 
the earth, so also, according to the command of Christ, shall 
the stream of grace, through holy baptism, flow to all parts of 
the world, for the washing away of sin. He then breathes 
upon the water three times, puts the Paschal candle into it three 
times, each time deeper than the last, the last time touching 
the bottom of the font ; and then holding the candle thus, 
breathes three times over the water, in the form of a cross, 
praying God, at the same time, that the power of the Holy 
Ghost may descend upon the water and impart to it the virtue 
of regeneration, that thereby all stains of sin being removed, 
man, created after the image of God, may be born again, to 
a new and holy life. The immersion and withdrawal of the 
candle from the water, denote that it is sanctified by Christ, to 
be a means through which the baptized are drawn out of the 
abyss of sin. The breathing upon the water denotes the com- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 339 

mnnication of the Holy Ghost. After these prayers, the as- 
sistant priests sprinkle the holy water over the people. The 
holy oils, that of the catechumens, and that of the holy 
chrism, are then mixed with the consecrated water, partly to 
indicate the union of Christ with his people, and partly also to 
denote that the grace of the Holy Ghost, of which the holy 
oil and chrism are figures, together with faith, hope, and 
charity, is infused into the heart of the catechumen. 

During these ceremonies think often of the grace of holy 
oaptism ; give thanks for it, renew your baptismal vows, and 
say the following 

Prayer. 

O most benign Jesus, we thank thee, that through thy 
most precious blood thou hast prepared us in holy baptism, a 
laver of regeneration. Give us thy grace, that we may pre- 
serve unstained the innocence that in baptism we received. 
Amen. 

Why does the priest prostrate himself after the blessing of 
the baptismal font, and rise again after the chanting of the 
Litany of the Saints ? 

This is done to pray God, through the intercession of all 
saints, to give the grace of holy baptism to all men without ex- 
ception, that as all are from their birth dead and buried in sin, 
so all might rise up with Christ to grace and a holy life. 

Why are the altars to-day re-decorated, and the bells again 
sounded ? 

The decoration of the altars is a figure of the glorious incor- 
ruptible body of Jesus, and at the same time a token of the joy 
with which the Church hails his glorious resurrection. This 
joy she expresses also by the festive sound of the bells, and 
glad hymns of praise. That this is done at so early an hour is 
for the reason that the mass of this day was in early times cele- 
brated the midnight before Easter, but now is said on the 
morning of Holy Saturday. 

Why has the Mass of to-day no Introit? 

The Introit of the Mass for the day formerly consisted of a 



340 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

whole psalm, which was sung while the people were assembling 
in the church. But as the people were already gathered to- 
gether in attendance upon the above-mentioned ceremonies, 
there was for that reason no Introit sung. The Church still 
observes the same practice, for the like reasons, although what 
was first a vigil mass has been transferred to the previous day, 
on account of the disorders to which it gave occasion. 

Prayer. 

O God, who didst illustrate this night with the glory of our 
Lord's resurrection, preserve in the new progeny of thy family 
the spirit of adoption which thou hast given, that, renewed in 
body and mind, they may exhibit in thy sight a pure service. 
Through the same Lord. 

Epistle. (Col oss. iii. 1-4.) 

Brethren, if you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, 
where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God : mind the things that 
are above, not the things that are upon the earth. For you are dead, 
and your life is hid with Christ in God. "When Christ shall appear, 
who is your life, then you also shall appear with him in glory. 

Explanation. 

St. Paul represents to us the resurrection of Jesus Christ as 
both the example and cause of the spiritual resurrection from 
sin wrought in us by the reception of the holy sacraments at 
Easter. With Christ we must renounce the world, and live 
hidden with him in God, if we would arise with him on the last 
day, and be acknowledged before all men as his own. 

After the epistle the priest intones the Allelujah, singing it 
three times, and each time raising his voice. The choir and 
people repeat it in turn. This is the first expression of joy 
which the Church and her children use in anticipation of 
Easter. The repetition of this exclamation, and the raising of 
the voice, indicate the continuance and increase of this most 
devout and solemn joy. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 341 

Gospel. (Matt, xxviii. 1-7.) 

In the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first 
day of the week, came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see 
the sepulchre. And behold there was a great earthquake. For an 
Angel of the Lord descended from heaven : and coming, rolled back 
the stone, and sat upon it. And his countenance was as lightning, 
and his raiment as snow. And for fear of him, the guards were struck 
with terror, and became as dead men. And the Angel answering, 
said to the women : Fear not you : for I know that you seek Jesus 
who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come, 
and see the place where the Lord was laid. And going quickly, tell 
ye his disciples that he is risen : and behold he will go before you into 
Galilee ; there you shall see him. Lo, I have foretold it to you. 

Practice. 

The love of the two Marys which brought them so early to 
the sepulchre, was rewarded by the appearance of an angel. 
Do you also love Jesus, seek him early, by making a good in- 
tention, and whatever you do will receive God's blessing. 

In the mass the Credo is omitted, because in the early times 
it had been already said by the catechumens ; the same is the 
case with the Agnus Dei, which was said at the Litany of the 
Saints. The kiss of peace is not given, because Jesus had not 
yet appeared to his disciples. The vespers are very short, as 
if there were no vespers, because this Sabbath-day is the figure 
of the eternal Sabbath in heaven, which has no evening. No 
Christian should forget to-day to revisit the holy sepulchre, to 
thank Jesus for his passion and death, and to venerate the 
sorrowful mother Mary. 



©aster. 

What is the feast of Easter ? 

The day on which Jesus Christ, according to the predictions 
both of himself and the prophets, by his Almighty power, re- 
unite*! his body and soul, and arose alive from the grave. 

What is the meaning of this feast ? 



342 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

It has significations as various and important as the resur- 
rection itself. Thus, it betokens, 1. The perfect triumph of 
Jesus over death and the grave ; the accomplishment of our 
redemption ; the foundation of our faith (1 Cor. xv. 13). It is 
also the pledge and figure of our own resurrection, the fountain 
of our hope and joy. For so sure as Christ rose from the dead, 
so sure is it that he is the Son of God, that his doctrine is 
divine, his Church the true one, and that we, as members of 
his body, provided we are his true disciples, shall one day rise 
with glorified bodies, as he did. 2. The resurrection of Jesus 
is a pattern and admonition of what every one at this season 
ought to do. For as Jesus on Easter-day began a new life, so 
should every Christian rise from the grave of sin, and begin to 
walk in newness of life (Rom. vi. 6). He should remove from 
himself the last remnant of the old leaven of sin, free himself 
from the evil habits which, like the linen cloth, hold him fast, 
roll off the stone of guilt from his conscience, break the seal 
which Satan has impressed upon him as one of his own, chase 
away the guards who would keep him confined in the grave, 
and show by a neAV, glorified, and holy life, that he is indeed 
risen from the death of sin. 

This feast is called in Latin, " Pascha," and in Hebrew, 
" Phase," the meaning of which is, " the passing over," — be- 
cause the destroyer of the first-born in Egypt passed over the 
houses of the Israelites, who had sprinkled the transom and 
posts of the door with the blood of the paschal lamb ; and be- 
cause the Jews were in that same night delivered from bon- 
dage, passing over through the Red Sea into the land of prom- 
ise (Exod. xii.) Now as we Christians are by the death and 
resurrection of Christ, who was the true paschal lamb that 
taketh away the sins of the world, redeemed and jessed over 
to the freedom of the children of God, we too call the day of 
his resurrection, Pascha, or Phase. 

How should we observe the feast of Easter? 

In such manner as to confirm our faith in Jesus Christ, and 
in his Church, and to pass over from the death of sin to the 
new life of grace (Rom. vi. 4). Of this the resurrection of 
Christ reminds us; of this the Holy Church admonishes us, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 343 

prescribing for us at the Easter season the reception of the 
holy sacraments of penance and Eucharist ; this, too, all nature 
preaches to us, awakening at this season to new life, and 
through every blade of grass calling out to us, " Thy Saviour 
is risen again, and thou also shalt one day rise again, if thou 
awakest from the sleep of sin, and permittest Jesus to live in 
thee." 

What is the meaning of the repetition of Allelujah, and of 
standing at prayers at Easter ? 

Allelujah means " praise God," and is an expression of joy 
at the resurrection of our Lord, and the hope of eternal hap- 
piness, which he thereby obtained for us. The standing up at 
prayers likewise indicates that Christ is risen from the grave, 
and, as St. Augustine says, that we have left the grave of sin, 
and are ready to walk in the way of the divine commandments. 

To summon us to rejoice over the resurrection of our Lord, 
the Church sings to-day, and often during the Octave, "This 
is the day that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad 
therein" (Ps. cxvii. 24) ; and in the Introit of the Mass, she in- 
troduces Jesus Christ as risen, addressing his Heavenly Father, 
in the words of the hundred and thirty-eighth Psalm, " I arose 
and am still with thee, Allelujah y thou hast laid thy hand 
upon me, Allelujah" (Ps. cxxxviii.) "Lord, thou hast proved 
me, and known me ; thou hast known my sitting doicn and 
my rising iip." Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who this day didst open to us the approach to eter- 
nity, by thy only Son victorious over death, prosper by thy 
grace our vows, which thou dost anticipate by thy inspira- 
tions. Through the same Lord. 

Epistle. (1 Cor. v. 7, 8.) 

Brethren : Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste, 
as you are unleavened. For Christ, our pasch, is sacrificed. There- 
fore let us feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of 
malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity 
and truth. 



344 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Explanation. 

The Apostle wrote the first epistle to the Corinthians at 
Easter, on which feast the Jews ate the Paschal lamb with un- 
leavened bread, carefully cleansing their houses from leaven. 
He therefore selected the leaven as a type of the moral de- 
pravity from which the Christian community and every indi- 
vidual Christian should be free. Let us, therefore, purge out 
the old leaven of sin, by true penance, that we may receive 
our Paschal Lamb, Jesus, in the most Holy Eucharist, with a 
pure heart. 

Say often during the day, with the Church, Allelujah ; give 
praise to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for- 
ever. Allelujah. This is the day which the Lord hath made, 
Allelujah ; let us be glad and rejoice therein, Allelujah. Christ, 
our Pasch, is immolated. Allelujah ! 

Gospel. (Mark xvi. 1-7.) 

At that time : Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of James, and 
Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming tkey might anoint Jesus. 
And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came 
to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen. And they said one to 
another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepul- 
chre? And looking, they saw the stone rolled back: for it was very 
great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man 
sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they 
were astonished. Who saith to them: Be not affrighted; ye seek 
Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified : he is risen, he is not here, be- 
hold the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and 
Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee : there you shall see him, 
as he told you. 

Why did the holy women desire to anoint the body of Jesus 
with sweet spices? 

Out of love to Jesus. For as it was the custom among the 
Jews to embalm the dead, these holy women, who had been 
hindered by the approach of the Sabbath from paying this duty 
of love to their beloved before his burial, came early in the 
morning to discharge it. This love God rewarded with the ap- 
pearance of the Angel, who rolled back the great stone from 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 345 

the door of the sepulchre, comforted them, and convinced 
them of the resurrection of Jesus. 

These women teach us that true love is not lagging and in- 
different, but always eager to please God and benefit man, ac- 
cording to its ability, without delay; ilirthermore, we learn 
from them how God consoles those who seek him from the 
heart, and how pleasing to him are the works of mercy. Let 
us practice them diligently. Since what we do for the poor, 
that we do also for Christ himself (Matt. xxv. 40). 

Why did the Angel send the holy women to the disciples of 
Christ, and in particular to Peter ? 

To console them for the death of Christ, and that through 
them the resurrection of Jesus might be made known to the 
whole world. Peter was particularly named because he was 
the head of the Apostles, and also because, on account of his 
threefold denial of the Saviour, he was sadder and more dis- 
pirited than the others. So gracious is God to penitents. 

Aspiration. 

What joy it is to me, O Jesus, that, decorated with the 
sacred marks of thy wounds, thou art risen from the grave ! 
I beseech thee, by thy glorious victory over sin, death, the 
devil, and hell, grant to me, and to all Christians, grace to die 
to all sinful propensities and lusts, and no more to strive for 
earthly things, but to seek those things which are above, in 
heaven, and to walk before thee in newness of life. 

Meditation on the Resurrection of Christ. 

The enemies of Jesus had his sepulchre sealed and surrounded 
with a guard, lest the corpse should be stolen, and his disciples 
say, " He is risen from the dead." Thus did God's providence 
use the enemies of Jesus to secure us against the danger of de- 
ception. 

At the beginning of the first day of the week the Crucified 
arose ! — the Sun, the Light of the new world. The earth 
trembled. An Angel, whose aspect was like the lightning, 
whose robes were white as snow, had rolled away the stone 

15- 



346 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

from the sepulchre, in which were found only the linen grave- 
clothes, in which the corpse had been wrapped. " He is not 
here," said the Angel ; " he is risen ; behold the place where 
they laid him." Jesus lives, and shows himself for the re- 
ward of love and fidelity, first to the holy women, next to 
the disciples. They gaze upon him with their eyes, and see 
him eat ; they hear his voice, and touch his body ; and all this 
not once only, but repeatedly, on different occasions, and for 
forty days. He is as truly risen from the dead as he had pre- 
dicted. 

Jesus lives. Ignominious and painful was his death, but 
even this was the means of obtaining for his cause, for justice, 
and for truth, an everlasting victory. He has overcome sin, 
death, hell, and all his enemies ; and ever since, the knowledge 
of his name is spread throughout the whole earth ; his temples 
are erected in all parts of the world ; the most renowned na- 
tions acknowledge him ; through his name, millions hope for 
and receive salvation and a blessed immortality. 

He lives / and as he arose, so too shall we, the members of 
his body, one day arise, and partake of his glory. We shall 
be where he is. The grave no longer confines man ; we sow 
the earthly and perishable, to reap the heavenly and eternal. 
What a glorious destiny ! 

He lives, and reigns for our salvation ; let us keep to him 
and follow him faithfully, for he is the true Guide who leads us 
to life ; he. is the good Shepherd who can protect us from the 
wolf; to him all power is given. We will therefore put away 
from us the sins which, before his coming, polluted mankind ; 
the impurity, avarice, envy, blood-thirstiness, rioting, deceit, 
malice, from which he has redeemed us. Let us not be slan- 
derers, calumniators, blasphemers, boasters, insolent to parents, 
perfidious, implacable, and unmerciful. Oh, that we had so 
nailed our sins to the cross, during Lent, that, in spirit victo- 
rious over the flesh, w r e might, on this day, greet the risen 
Jesus ! How can we rejoice, if Christ has not conquered in 
us ? if we are not yet risen from the grave of sin ? 

He lives and reigns. Oh, let us not think too much of the 
labors, the combats, and temptations of this world ; they last 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 347 

but a short while, and soon they who suffered with him shall 
be partakers of his glory. 

He lives, and dies no more. Through combat and inex- 
pressible sufferings, he gained victory. So also with us. Only 
by labor, combat, and sufferings, shall we win the crown of 
eternal life. As the Israelites, though freed by Moses from the 
slavery of Egypt, must yet suffer and combat for forty years, 
and enter, combating, the promised land, so we, though re- 
deemed by Christ from the servitude of Satan and sin, will 
not be able to enter the kingdom of Christ, unless, after his 
example and by his grace, we fight till the end, against the 
flesh, the devil, and the world. For only he that perseveres 
to the end shall receive the crown (2 Tim. ii. 5) ; only he that 
mortifies and denies himself with Christ, shall also live and 
reign with him. Suffer, therefore, labor, combat till the end ! 



©aster iltonbng. 

Jesus, through his death and resurrection, has brought us 
into a land incomparably more beautiful than the land of 
promise. The Church with joy reminds us of this in the In- 
troit of the Mass, in which she brings before our eyes the 
entrance of the Israelites into the promised land, which is a 
type of the kingdom of heaven, under Josue, who is a type 
of Christ. 

The Lord hath brought you into a land floioing with milk 
and honey, allelujah : and that the law of the Lord may be 
ever in your mouth, allelujah, allelujah (Exod. xiii.) Give 
glory to the Lord and call upon his name, declare his deeds 
among the Gentiles. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who hast bestowed remedies on the world in the 
paschal solemnities, grant to thy people heavenly gifts, we be- 
seech thee, that they may both deserve to obtain perfect 
liberty, and arrive at life everlasting. Through our Lord. 



348 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Epistle. (Acts x. 37-43.) 

In those days: Peter standing in the midst of the people, said: 
Men, brethren, you know the word which hath been published 
through all Judea: for it began from Galilee, after the baptism which 
John preached, Jesus of Nazareth: how God anointed him with the 
Holy Ghost, and with power, who went about doing good, and healing 
all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we 
are witnesses of all things that he did in the land of the Jews and in 
Jerusalem, whom they killed, hanging him upon a tree. Him God 
raised up the third day, and gave him to be made manifest, not to all 
the people, but to witnesses pre-ordained by God, even to us, who 
did eat and drink with him after he rose again from the dead : and 
he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is he 
who was appointed by God to be judge of the living and of the dead. 
To him all the prophets give testimony, that through his name all 
receive remission of sins, who believe in him. 

Explanation. 

Through Jesus sent from God, the deliverer from all sickness 
of soul and body, who has risen from the dead, and is to be 
our Judge, to whom all the prophets gave testimony — through 
him, and through him alone, forgiveness of sins and salvation 
are promised to all who truly and firmly believe in him, and 
show their belief by deeds. Have such a lively faith, and thou 
shalt receive forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. 

Gospel. (Luke xxiv. 13-35.) 

At that time: two of the disciples of Jesus went the same day to a 
town, which was sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, named Emmaus. 
And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 
And it came to pass, that while they talked and reasoned with them- 
selves, Jesus himself also drawing near went with them. But their 
eyes were held that they should not know him. And he said to 
them : What are these discourses that you hold one with another as 
you walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was 
Cleophas, answering, said to him : Art thou only a stranger in Jeru- 
salem and hast not known the things that have been done there in 
these days? To whom he said : "What things ? And they said : Con- 
cerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in work and 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 349 

word before God and all the people, and how our chief- priests and 
princes delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him. 
But we hoped that it was he that should have redeemed Israel : and 
now besides all this, to-day is the third day since these things were 
done. Yea, and certain women also of our company, affrighted us, 
who before it was light were at the sepulchre. And not finding his 
body, came, saying that they had also seen a vision of Angels, who 
say that he is alive. And some of our people went to the sepulchre : 
and found it so as the women had said, but him they found not. Then 
he said to them : O foolish, and slow of heart to believe in all things 
which the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered, 
these things, and so to enter into his glory ? And beginning at Moses 
and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the 
things that were concerning him. And they drew nigh to the town 
whither they were going : and he made as though he would go farther. 
But they constrained him, saying: Stay with us, because it is towards 
evening, and the day is now far spent. And he went in with them. 
And it came to pass, whilst he was at table with them, he took 
bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were 
opened, and. they knew him : and he vanished out of their sight. And. 
they said one to the other: Was not our heart burning within us, 
whilst he spoke in the way, and opened to us the scriptures ? And 
rising up the same hour they went back to Jerusalem : and they found 
the eleven gathered together, and those that were with them, saying, 
The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they 
told what things were done in the way : and how they knew him in 
the breaking of bread. 

Why did Jesus walk as a stranger with the two disciples? 

He walked with them because they talked of him, and were 
sad on his account. Thus Jesus joins himself to those who 
speak of him, while he withdraws himself from those whose 
mouths are filled with impious and impure words. He ap- 
peared to them as a stranger, says St. Gregory, because he 
meant to deal with them according to their dispositions, and 
according to the firmness of their faith. They seemed not to 
have believed in him as the Son of God, so irresolute and sad 
are they. Thus far Christ was, indeed, yet a stranger in their 
hearts, and chose to appear to them as such, to free them who 
loved him from their false notions, to convince them of the 
necessity of his passion, and to reveal himself to them, so soon 



350 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

as their understandings should be enlightened, and their hearts 
filled with desire. Thus God orders the disposal of his graces 
according to our dispositions ; according to our faith and trust ; 
according to our love and fidelity. 

Why did Christ say that he ought to have suffered ? 

He said it not as if he had been forced to suffer, since he 
gave himself up to death of his own free will ; but as he had 
caused the prophets to announce his humiliation and passion, so 
he must suffer in reality, that those prophecies might be fulfilled. 

How did he expound the Scriptures to his disciples ? 

The two disciples showed plainly that, mistaking the glorious 
descriptions given of the Messiah by the prophets, they expect- 
ed a hero or prince who should deliver them from their sub- 
jection to the Romans, and a splendid worldly empire. " But 
vie hoped," they said, " that it was he that should have redeem- 
ed Israel." In expounding the Scriptures to expose this error, 
Jesus probably showed his disciples how his sufferings, death, 
and resurrection were foreshown by the institutions, the per- 
sons, and the events of the old law, — for example, by the sell- 
ing of Joseph, the treachery of Judas ; by the coat stained 
with blood, the scourging (Gen. xxxvii.) ; by the ram caught 
by his horns in the briars, his crowning with thorns (Gen. xxii. 
13) ; by Isaac carrying the wood for the sacrifice, his carrying 
the cross (Gen. xxii. 6) ; by Noe naked and mocked by his 
sons, his being stripped and reviled (Gen. ix) ; by the brazen 
serpent set up by Moses, his crucifixion (Numb. xxi. 9) ; by 
the sacrifices of animals, particularly of the paschal lamb, not a 
bone of which was broken, his sacrifice on the cross ; by Jonas 
on the third day thrown up alive from the belly of the whale, 
his burial and resurrection, — and so on ; besides which he 
pointed out how clearly David, and Isaias, and other prophets, 
had foretold, and, as it were, recorded his passion. 

Why did Jesus make as if he would have gone further ? 

As he had strengthened their faith, so now, before staying 
with them, he would prove their love, and give them an oppor- 
tunity to show hospitality. 

Why did the disciples know him by the breaking of bread ? 

Because, as the phrase " breaking of bread" indicates, and as 



THE EPISTLES AXD GOSPELS. 351 

the holy fathers teach, he gave them his sacred body in the 
same manner that he did at his last supper. 

What should this occurrence teach us ? 

1. It should confirm our faith, in that the disciples did not 
readily believe the resurrection of Jesus, but only after many 
irrefragable proofs. 2. It should encourage us to imitate them, 
in speaking gladly of Jesus, in being ready to receive instruc- 
tion, in showing hospitality to strangers. Should we not be so 
fortunate as to entertain an angel, like Abraham, or Jesus him- 
self, like these disciples and other saints, we may yet receive 
those of whom he said, whatever we do unto the least of his 
disciples we do unto him. 3. It should particularly teach us 
that after we have known and received him, we should earnest- 
ly pray him to leave us no more, and to that end, should incite 
us, by faith, love, and hatred of sin, to make our hearts a 
worthy resting-place for him. 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, nearer and nearer draws the evening of our life. 
As thou didst abide with the disciples at Emmaus, so abide 
also with us in the power and operation of the holy sacraments, 
that we, who are foolish and slow of heart to believe, may, like 
them, by partaking of thy most holy body, be strengthened in 
faith, confirmed in hope, and so united to thee by love, that 
nothing may any more separate us from thee. Amen. 



(Easter (Etiesbaj). 

To praise and thank God for the mystery of redemption, the 
Church sings at the Introit of the Mass : He gave them waters 
of icisdom to drink, allelujah. She shall be made strong in 
them, and shall not be moved, allelujah. And he shall exalt 
them forever, allelujah, allelujah (Ecclus. xv. 3). Give glory 
to the Lord, and call upon his name, declare his deeds among 
the Gentiles (Ps. civ. 1). Glory be to the Father. 



352 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Prayer. 
O God, who dost ever multiply thy Church by a new prog- 
eny, grant to thy servants, that they may retain in their lives, 
the mystery which they have received by faith. Through our 
Lord. 

Epistle. (Acts xiii. 26-33.) 

In those days, Paul rising up, and with his hand bespeaking silence, 
said : Men, brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever 
among you fear God, to you the word of this salvation is sent. For 
they that inhabited Jerusalem, and the rulers thereof, not knowing 
Jesus, nor the voices of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, 
judging him have fulfilled them. And finding no cause of death in 
him, they desired of Pilate, that they might kill him. And when they 
had fulfilled all things that were written of him, taking him down 
from the tree they laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him up 
from the dead the third day : who was seen for many days by those, 
who had come up together with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who 
to this present are his witnesses to the people. And we declare unto 
you that the promise which was made to our fathers, this same God 
hath fulfilled to our children, raising up Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Explanation. 

Like St. Peter, so St. Paul founds the truth of his doctrine 
upon the resurrection of Jesus — and why ? Because Christ 
had given this as the special proof of the truth of his doctrine. 
Had he not risen from the dead he would not have been the 
Son of God, and could not have redeemed mankind. The res- 
urrection is, therefore, the foundation of our belief. On that 
account, he allowed his disciples for awhile to doubt, and only 
to believe after he had given them, by repeatedly appearing to 
them, irrefragable proofs of his resurrection ; that by their 
doubts and cautious unbelief, the wounds of unbelief in our 
hearts might be healed, and we might know how true is the 
resurrection, and Low firmly founded our faith. 



(Luke xxiv. 3G-47.) 

At that time: Jesus stood in the midst of his disciples, and saith 
to them : Peace be to you; it is I, fear not. But they being troubled 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 353 

and frighted, supposed that they saw a spirit. And he said to them : 
Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 
See my hands and feet, that it is I myself; handle, and see : for a spirit 
hath not flesh and bones, as you see me to have. And when he had 
said this, he showed them his hands and feet. But while they yet 
believed not, and wondered for joy, he said : Have you here any thing 
to eat? And they offered him a piece of a broiled fish and a honey- 
comb. And when he had eaten before them, taking the remains he 
gave to them. And he said to them: These are the words which I 
spoke to you while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be 
fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, 
and in the psalms, concerning me. Then he opened their understand- 
ing, that they might understand the scriptures. And he said to them: 
Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise 
again from the dead the third day: and that penance and remission 
of sins should be preached in his name unto all nations. 

Why does Jesus greet his disciples with the words, "Peace 
be to you ? n 

1. Because he came to restore to men that peace w T ith God, 
with themselves, with their neighbor, which sin had destroyed. 
2. Because peace is a mark of the children of God, as discord 
is of sinners. 3. Because peace is the greatest of all goods. 
Therefore it is that he w T ill have his Apostles, after his example, 
give the greeting of peace at entering a house. Finally, 
4. Because he desired to encourage his disciples to confidence 
by his friendliness. 

To live constantly in peace, one must possess humility, ac- 
cording to the saying, You will not be long in peace, if you do 
not endeavor to be the least of all. 

Why did Christ show his disciples the marks of his wounds 
alter his resurrection ? 

To remove from their minds all doubts as to his resurrec- 
tion : for he must have had a real body to be touched by them, 
and to eat with them. Hereby we learn what our resurrection 
from sin should be, for the resurrection of Christ is a pattern 
of that. We must give indisputable proofs of spiritual life ; 
that is, we must love God above all things, and our neighbor 
as ourselves; must hate sin, avoid the occasions of sin, and 
exercise ourselves in good works. 



354 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Why did our Saviour retain the places of his wounds after 
his resurrection ? 

To show that it was the same body which had been wounded 
during his passion, and to show that he was really risen from 
the dead. 2. To teach us that we too shall, in like manner, 
rise with our bodies. 3. To make known to us the greatness 
of his love, through which he has graven us, as it were, on his 
hands and feet, and in his heart (Isaias xlix. 16). 4. To im- 
part to us confidence in his endless mercy, and to encourage 
us to combat against the world, the flesh, and the devil ; for it 
was on our account that he received those wounds which, ever 
since, are speaking intercessors to the Father, and sure tokens 
of victory. Should we not be ashamed to be cowardly com- 
batants, when we see the wounds on his head which his love 
for us inflicted on him? 5. To prepare for all the miserable, 
afflicted, and tempted, a place of refuge, and an inexhaustible 
fountain of consolation. 6. To terrify the impenitent, whom, 
on the day of judgment, he will show how much he has suf- 
fered for them, and that they have been the cause of their own 
destruction. Oh, let us endeavor to think often on the wounds 
of Jesus, that we may thereby be encouraged to lead pious 
lives acceptable to God. 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, grant that the precious blood which flowed from 
thy wounds for me and all sinners, may not be lost. 

Instruction on what we ought to believe concerning the Holy 
Scriptures. 

"He opened their understanding, that they might understand the scrip- 
tures." — hake xxiv. 15. 

What is the Bible ? 

It is the collection of those writings which holy men have 
composed under the inspiration and direction of the Holy 
Ghost, and which have been acknowledged and explained by 
the Catholic Church, as given by God. These scriptures or 
books are divided into the Old and the New Testament. The 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 355 

scriptures of the old law contain, in forty-five books, the his- 
tory of events from the creation to the coming of Jesus, and 
the doctrines, laws, institutions and promises which during that 
period were given by God. Those of the new law contain, in 
twenty-seven books, mostly epistles, the doctrine and life of 
Jesus, the sending of the Holy Ghost, the first spreading of 
Christianity, instructions and admonitions, and finally predic- 
tions, in regard to the fortunes of the Christian Church. These 
-scriptures are also sometimes called the Word of God. 

Are the Scriptures the only source of Christian faith and 
doctrine ? 

No: 1. For the Holy Scriptures do not contain all that God 
has revealed, that Jesus has done and taught. St. John says 
the world would not be able to contain the books, if all that 
Jesus had done should be written (John xxi. 25) ; in particu- 
lar, but very little has been written of the instructions and pre- 
dictions which Jesus gave to his Apostles from his resurrection 
to the ascension. 2. The Scriptures are not plain enough to 
be understood by every one, without danger of erring. For 
this reason it was necessary for Jesus to explain to his disci- 
ples the Holy Scripture, to open the meaning of it, that they 
might understand it. St. Peter already complained that in the 
epistles of St. Paul were some places hard to be understood, 
which the unlearned and unstable wrested to their own destruc- 
tion (2 Pet. iii. 16). All history witnesses to the same thing. 
Whenever a heresiarch has arisen, he has appealed to the 
Holy Scriptures, and many have appealed to the same words 
in support of contradictory opinions. They expounded, wrest- 
ed, omitted, added to, till the Scriptures fitted their opinions. 
Finally, it is quite natural that the Holy Scriptures, being 
given by God, can be rightly understood only by him who is 
led by the Spirit of God. 

What other source, then, is there besides the Holy Scrip- 
tures ? 

Tradition, or inherited doctrine, — that is, those doctrines 
of faith and practice which the Apostles had either learned 
from the mouth of Christ himself, or had been taught by the 
Holy Ghost, and which, without being committed to writing, 



356 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

were delivered, as it were, from mouth to mouth, by the Apos- 
tles to their disciples, and by these again to their followers. 

That tradition was not only a true, but the very best source 
of the doctrine in faith and practice, follows from these facts : 
1. Oral tradition was the first, and for a long time the only 
means of spreading the Gospel. The holy Gospels, and the 
other books of the new law, were first committed to writing 
much later, as occasion required, to facilitate the remembrance 
of the acts and teaching of Jesus, but not to supplant the living 
word. They are only a part of revelation. 2. St. Paul point- 
edly enjoins upon the Thessalonians the observance of the tra- 
ditions, whether learned by word of mouth, or from his epis- 
tles (2 Thess. ii. 24) ; and he admonishes Timothy (2 Tim. ii. 3) 
to intrust to others, in order to continued instruction, the tra- 
ditions learnt from him. 3. That there are only four Gospels, 
etc. ; that these, and no other writings, belong to the Holy 
Scriptures, we know only by tradition, in accordance with which 
the Church has so decided. 4. In like manner, without tradi- 
tion we should have no certainty of the right meaning of the 
Holy Scriptures, — this history teaches ; but tradition, which 
points out what has been always, everywhere, and by all 
believed and taught in the Catholic Church, from the time of 
the Apostles till now, puts us in a sure way to the right under- 
standing of them, prevents doubts and errors, and leads us 
with certainty to the knowledge of God's will, and to salva- 
tion. The consideration of all this led St. Augustine to say, 
" I would not believe the Gospel itself, unless on the authority 
of the Church." 

Where is this source preserved ? 

Like Holy Scripture itself, so also tradition is kept in the 
Roman Catholic Church, with which Jesus has promised to be 
all days, even to the consummation of the world, and which 
St. Paul calls " the pillar and the ground of truth'''' (1 Tim. 
iii. 15). 

What follows from this ? 

That it is not free to every one to read and explain Holy 
Scripture according to his own opinion, but that it must be 
done with submission and conformity to the teaching of the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 357 

Church. 2. That the Holy Scriptures cannot be the final 
judge in controversies of faith, since they are themselves liable 
to be misunderstood. 3. That for this reason the Church has 
done wisely in making the printing, reading, and explaining 
of Holy Scripture depend upon the permission of lawful spirit- 
ual superiors. 

Why does God will that men should not interpret Scripture 
according to their own sense, but only according to the teach- 
ing of the Church ? 

1. In order to prevent the innumerable controversies which 
must arise, were each one to interpret Scripture according to 
his own private opinion, and to persist in it obstinately, by 
reason of thinking his own intelligence equal to any other. 
2. That the preservation of unity, and the perpetual power 
and presence of Jesus in the Church, by which he keeps her 
from all error, may appear the more clearly. 3. That the way 
of salvation may be surely found by all, by submitting their 
own private opinion to that of the Church, led by the Spirit of 
God. 4. To keep us in humility, as St. Augustine says, since 
with all our other knowledge, we perceive that we cannot un- 
derstand the Holy Scriptures without the particular assistance 
of God. 

What, therefore, must one do, who desires to read the Holy 
Scriptures ? 

He must read them, 1. Only with the permission of the ec- 
clesiastical superiors. 2. With the subjection of his own opin- 
ion to the decisions of the Church, and the interpretation of 
the holy fathers. 3. With suitable preparation, by prayer and 
fasting, as St. Thomas of Aquin did, and with devotion and 
care. 



iarst Qunbaj} after (Scaster, calleo UDomimcct in &lbis, 
or Coto Sunbcvn. 

Why is this Sunday called Dominica in Albis, or, as in Ger- 
man, White Sunday. 

Because, in the earlier times, they who had been recently 



35$ INSTRUCTIONS ON 

baptized on Holy Saturday, on this day laid aside the white 
garments which they had then received in token of their bap- 
tismal innocence, and put on, around the neck, an "Agnus 
Dei," made of white wax, and blessed by the Pope, to remind 
them continually that they were bound to preserve that inno- 
cence unstained. The Church therefore sings, at the Introit of 
the Mass, As new-bom babes, allelujah, desire the rational 
milk without guile, allelujah, allelujah, allelujah (1 Pet. ii. 2). 
Rejoice to God our helper / sing aloud to the God of Jacob. 
Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we who have 
performed the paschal solemnities, may, by thy grace, preserve 
them in our life and conduct. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (1 John v. 4-10.) 

Dearly beloved : "Whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world : 
and this is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith. Who 
is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is 
the Son of God ? This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus 
Christ : not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the 
Spirit which testifieth, that Christ is the truth. For there are three 
who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy 
Ghost. And these three are one. And there are three that give tes- 
timony on earth : the spirit, and the water, and the blood, and these 
three are one. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of 
God is greater. For this is the testimony of God, which is greater, 
because he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth in the Son of 
God, hath the testimony of God in himself. 

Explanation. 
How consoling is this epistle ! We can then overcome the 
world, if we will, through our faith, — the faith, namely, that 
Jesus is the Son of God, who overcame the world, and obtained 
for all his followers abundant strength to do the same. That he 
is the Son of God, St. John shows, 1. By the threefold testimony 
on earth, of the water at the baptism in Jordan (John i. 33), of 
the blood at the death on the cross (Heb. ix. 22), of the spirit 
in the miraculous effects wrought in those that believed (Acts i.) 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 359 

2. By the threefold testimony from heaven: of the Father, who 
calls him his Son ; of the Son himself, by his doctrine, his life, 
his miracles; of the Holy Ghost who descended upon him in 
bodily shape as a dove (Luke iii. 22). 3. From the testimony 
in the heart of every one. As Jesus says, " Whoever shall do 
my will shall know whetJier I am from God.'''' 

By loving faith in Jesus as the Son of God, we can surely 
overcome the world, because that faith shows us in God, our 
Father ; in the world to come, our true country ; in Jesus, our 
example ; teaching us to love God above all things, to disregard 
the world, and worldly goods, and to strive for the eternal ; 
and directing us to the proper means for accomplishing this in 
the power of the infinite grace of the Son of God, which he 
is ready in every way to impart to us. 



O Jesus, I believe in thee, as the Son of the living God ! 
Grant that through this faith I may victoriously combat the 
flesh, the world, the devil, and every inclination to evil, and 
obtain everlasting life. 

Gospel. (John xx. 19-31.) 

At that time: When it was late that same day, the first of the 
week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered 
together for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and 
said to them : Peace be to you. And when he had said this, he showed 
them his hands, and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, 
when they saw the Lord. He said therefore to them again : Peace 
be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When he 
had said this, he breathed on them ; and said to them : Receive ye 
the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven 
them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. Now 
Thomas, one of the twelve, who is called Didymus, was not with 
them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him : 
We have seen the Lord. But he said to them: Except I shall see in 
his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of 
the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. And 
after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with 
them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, 
and said : Peace be to you. Then he saith to Thomas : Put in thy 



300 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

finger hither, and see my hands; and bring hither thy hand, and put 
it into my side : and be not faithless but believing. Thomas answered, 
and saith to him : My Lord, and my God. Jesus saith to him : Be- 
cause thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: Blessed are 
they tnat have not seen, and have believed. Many other signs also did 
Jesus in the sight of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ 
the Son of God : and that believing, you may have life after his name. 

Why does Jesus so often say, '•''Peace be to you ?" 

To signify that he had restored peace between God and 
man ; to show how men might know his disciples ; and how 
necessary to salvation the preservation of peace is. 

2. To invite us thereby always to preserve peace with God, 
by avoiding with care every sin ; with our neighbor, by true 
charity, which knowingly harms no one, and readily forgives 
injury and injustice ; with ourselves, by subjecting our will and 
desire to God. 

What is the meaning of the words, " as my Father hath 
sent me, &c. ?" 

That he gave to his Apostles the power which the Father 
had given him ; for example, the power to forgive sins, to 
govern the Church ; and not to them only, but also to their 
lawful successors till the end of time, since the Father had 
sent him to be the Saviour of all men, in every age. 

Why did Christ breathe on the Apostles when he gave them 
the power of forgiving sins? 

It was a figure to signify that the Holy Spirit proceeded 
from Christ, and was by him communicated to the Apostles ; for 
in Hebrew and Greek, " spirit" is the same as " breath." By 
this sign they were visibly taught, that as the divine breath 
gave life to Adam, in like manner spiritual life is imparted to 
the descendants of Adam, dead through sin, in the sacrament 
of penance, through the Holy Ghost. 

Why did God permit Thomas to disbelieve the appearance 
of Christ to the other disciples? 

That we might thereby be strengthened in faith, for as 
Christ took away all doubt from Thomas, by appearing again, 
the resurrection of Christ by that means becomes, as St. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 361 

Gregory says, so much the more credible and certain. At the 
.same time, in this narrative there shines forth the goodness of 
God, who took as much *pains for Thomas alone, as for all the 
rest of the Apostles. Therefore, says St. Augustine, God 
does as much for one man as for all, and for all as much as for 
one. Who would not love so good a God ? 

Instruction on the T)*ue Faith and the True Church. 

" Blessed are they that have not seen and have believed." — John xx. 29. 

What is it to believe ? 

To receive as immovably certain what God has revealed to 
us, although we cannot comprehend it. Thus Thomas saw 
only what was visible and human in Christ, but at the same 
time acknowledged his Godhead which he could not see. 

What must we, therefore, believe ? 

All that God has revealed (Matt, xxviii. 20). We are not at 
liberty, therefore to say, either " I do not receive this," or " I 
receive it only in so far as seems to me proper." For thereby 
man would set up himself as judge above God. We must 
therefore believe all, even though not written, but made known 
to us only by the tradition of the Church. 

Why must we believe all this ? 

Because God, the infallible truth, has revealed it. This be- 
lief is as necessary to salvation as it is reasonable in itself. 
For it would be manifest folly and absurdity not to receive 
what God has revealed, or to pretend to understand it better 
than he. 

Can there be more than one true faith? 

No ; for as there is only one God, one Saviour, one Truth, so 
also can there be but one revelation, one true faith, which, like 
God and the truth, remains always, in every age and every 
place, unchangeably the same, and includes, without addition 
or diminution, all that God has revealed. 

How can we certainly know what God has or has not re- 
vealed, and which this one true faith is? 

By the means that God has given us, that is, by his Church, 
which is guided by the Holy Ghost to all truth, and in which 
Jesus Christ dwells till the end of time. 
1(3 



362 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

How can we know the Church of Christ ? 
By this, that she is, like the truth, one, holy, apostolic, and 
catholic, 

1. She must be one in her doctrine, so that all her members, 
from the rising to the setting of the sun, confess the same 
articles of faith ; one in the Holy Sacraments; one in her head, 
Christ, and in his visible representative upon earth (Ephes.iv. 5). 

2. She must be holy in her head, in her doctrine, her sacri- 
fice, and other means of salvation ; in her whole organization, 
the object of which is the honor of God and the salvation of 
men; and finally, in her members, who, by following her 
teaching, and by use of the means of grace, are brought to 
salvation. 

3. She must be apostolic; that is, her doctrine and organiza- 
tion must not be new, but must be derived from the Apostles, 
from them to their successors, and so on. 

4. She must be catholic or universal; that is, must take in all 
times and all places, preach everywhere, and always the doctrine 
intrusted to her, because it is given for all men, and all who 
would be saved are bound to hear and follow her. 

Can there be more than one true Church ? 

The Church of Christ can be but one, as the faith which she 
is to keep and preach, is one. 

Which is this true Church of Christ ? 

The Roman Catholic, since she alone possesses the above- 
mentioned marks of the true Church, as every one, even the 
least instructed, must see. For she alone has preserved unity 
in faith and in the Holy Sacraments, at all times and in all 
places, and is subordinate to one visible head, the Pope, the 
successor to St. Peter in the See of Rome. She alone can 
trace her derivation from the Apostles to the present day, and 
can demonstrate this origin as well by her doctrine, as by the 
succession of her popes and bishops. She alone has all the 
means of salvation, and she alone has produced saints. Finally, 
she alone embraces all ages, and shines, as St. Augustine says, 
from one end of the world to the other, in the splendor of one 
and the same faith, inviting all to her bosom, to bring them 
to Jesus. She includes both the visible and invisible world, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 363 

the saints in heaven — the Church triumphant ; the souls of 
the departed in purgatory — the suffering Church; and the 
faithful upon earth — the Church militant. 

These marks cannot be shown, either singly or together, by 
any Christian sect. " Therefore," says Richard, " O Lord, 
if we are deceived in our faith, thou canst not impute the error 
to us for sin, since the Church which has taught us this faith 
bears all the marks of truth, and confirms its teaching with 
such miracles as thou only canst work." 

If the Roman Catholic is the only true Church, what then 
follows? 

1. That she is infallible, because she is guided by the Holy 
Ghost. 

2. That she will stand till the end of the world, because 
Jesus dwells in her. 

3. That in her alone can we be saved ; that is, that in her 
alone are found all the means of salvation, and that every one 
to whom God gives the grace and opportunity to know her, 
cannot be saved otherwise than by submitting to her. 

But by this teaching are not heretics damned ? 

Only heresies are rejected, but not any particular man. The 
Church would much rather, 1. That we should not condemn 
misbelievers, since we do not know whether the error is 
through their own fault, and whether in spite of it, they do not, 
on account of the desire and longing with which they seek the 
truth, already belong to the Church in spirit; besides, judg- 
ment is the Lord's (Rom. xiv. 4). 2. That we should pray to 
God, as she does on Good Friday, to enlighten and bring them 
into the Church, and should labor by word and deed to that 
end. 

What should the Catholic answer to objections against the 
mass, purgatory, and such like ? 

He should say, These and the like matters of faith I believe, 
because God, who is Truth, has revealed them : that he has 
thus revealed them I believe, because the Roman Catholic 
Church, which teaches them to me, lias all the marks of the 
true Church of Christ, guided by God, and cannot therefore 
deceive me. 



36-i INSTRUCTIONS ON 

But is it sufficient for salvation to have the true faith, and to 
belong to the true Church ? 

No ; we must live according to that faith, — that is, we 
must observe what it commands, avoid what it forbids, and 
often, particularly in temptation, make an act of faith ; we 
must obey the Church, keep her precepts, and openly confess 
ourselves Catholics, since otherwise we should be but dead 
members of the body of Christ, which is his Church ; we must 
thank God for the grace of calling us to the true faith, and the 
true Church, and pray him to keep us in the same. If any one 
will not live according to the faith, God will either suffer him 
to fall into error, as so many men, and so many nations even, 
have done, or else he will condemn him the more severely, on 
account of his faith, because he knew what he ought to do, but 
did it not. 

(A very useful Instruction on Faith will be found at the 
"Feast of St. Thomas.") 



Ssconb Sunb 112 aft** ©aster. 

The Church continues to praise God for the resurrection of 
Jesus, and the graces thereby procured for us, and sings ac- 
cordingly, at the Introit of the Mass : The earth is full of the 
mercy of the Lord, allelujah. JBy the word of the Lord the 
heavens were established, allelujah, allelujah (Ps. xxii.) Re- 
joice in the Lord, ye just / praise beeometh the upright. Glory 
be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who by the humility of thy Son hast raised up a 
fallen world, grant to thy faithful everlasting joy, that those 
whom thou hast delivered from the evils of eternal death, thou 
mayest make to enjoy everlasting happiness. Through the 
same Lord. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 365 

Epistle. (1 Pet. ii. 21-25.) 

Dearly beloved : Christ suffered for us, leaving yon an example that 
you should follow his steps. " Who did no sin, neither was guile 
found in his mouth." Who, when he was reviled, did not revile : 
when he suffered, he threatened not: but delivered himself to him 
that judged him unjustly. Who his own self bore our sins in his body 
upon the tree: that we being dead to sins, should live to justice: by 
whose stripes you were healed. For you were as sheep going astray : 
but you are now converted to the shepherd and bishop of your souls. 

Practice. 

From the example of Christ we should learn to bear in pa- 
tience crosses, adversities, and even unjust persecutions. How 
otherwise could we be true sheep of this Good Shepherd, if at 
every, the least suffering, at the scoffs and mockeries which 
men cast at us, we should become angry and revengeful, and 
seek to retaliate with the like ? 

Aspiration. 

O Lord, grant me grace to follow thee, my shepherd ; not 
to revile and threaten when I am reviled, calumniated, or per- 
secuted for justice' sake, but for the love of thee to suffer all 
with patience. 

Gospel. (John x. 11-16.) 

At that time Jesus said to the Pharisees : I am the good shepherd. 
The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. But the hireling and 
he that is not the shepherd, whose oivn the sheep are not, seeth the 
wolf coming and leaveth the sheep, and flieth : and the wolf catcheth 
and scattereth the sheep : and the hireling flieth, because he is a hire- 
ling: and he hath no care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd: 
and I know mine, and mine know me. As the Father knoweth me, 
and I know the Father ; and I lay down my life for my sheep. And 
other sheep I have, that are not of this fold : them also I must bring, 
and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one 
shepherd. 

By what docs Christ show that he is the Good Shepherd? 
By this, that he takes all pains to seek, to find, and to bring 
back again to the right way the lost sheep — that is, the sinner ; 



366 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

that he receives with all love, and even carries on his own 
shoulders the sheep that he has found — that is, the penitent ; 
that he leads them to good pastures — that is, to sound doc- 
trine, and all the means of salvation ; finally, that he offers up 
his life for them, and gives himself to be to them their food, 
and a pledge of eternal life (l John v. 10 ; Rom. v. 8). 

What is the meaning of his words, I know mine? 

" I know all who belong to me, all their anxieties and needs; 
I care for them, watch over them, and defend them in all dan- 
gers." By this example should all superiors, parents, teachers, 
and masters govern themselves, for to them is confided a part 
of the pastoral care. They should accordingly watch over 
those intrusted to them, defend them from dangers, bring 
them to the use of the means of grace, and in general do every 
thing for their temporal and spiritual good. 

Whom does Jesus describe as "the hireling?" 

The word hireling denotes, in general, a man who does 
something only for reward. It means here a spiritual pastor, 
who, in contrast to the: Good Shepherd, feeds the flock only for 
the sake of gain, and of his own advantage ; who cares not for 
the safety of the sheep, but in time of danger leaves them to 
perish. Such were the Pharisees to whom Jesus spoke. 

Hirelings also are such superiors, masters, or teachers as ex- 
ercise their office only for the sake of gain, giving themselves 
no care for the salvation of the souls entrusted to them, but 
abandoning them to dangers and occasions of sin, neglecting 
to give warning of seducers, but keeping silence, like dumb 
dogs when thieves are breaking in. 

How do we know the sheep of Christ ? 

In general by this, that they know Christ ; that is, that they 
hear and follow his voice, in particular, 1. By their willingly 
receiving and striving to fulfil the teachings of Jesus, whether 
proposed in books, in sermons, or in catechism. 2. By their 
obeying the Church and her ministers; for whoever hears her, 
hears God himself, and, as St. Augustine says, he who will not 
have the Church for his mother cannot have God for his Fa- 
tlier. 3. By their receiving, often and gladly, the food of the 
Good Shepherd — the holy communion. 4. By being patient 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 367 

and meek, like the lamb that is slain without opening his 
month, forgiving their enemies readily and willingly. 5. By 
loving all their fellow-men, and by seeking to bring into the 
one fold those who are out of it. 

Whom does Jesus speak of as " the other sheep ?" 

The Gentiles, whom, through his Apostles and their successors, 
he would have brought into the one fold, as he himself sought 
to bring in the Jews. To those sheep we belong in our ances- 
tors. Let us thank God that he has called and received us 
into the fold — that is, into the Catholic Church ; and let us 
show our thankfulness by keeping the Catholic faith alive in 
our hearts, and by confessing it before the world. 

How shall there be one fold and one Shepherd ? 

This is already accomplished in part, in that the Apostles and 
apostolic men have, by their preaching, brought into the fold 
almost all nations ; while in part it yet remains to be accom- 
plished, in that, before the end of the world, all people, both 
Jews and heathens, shall yet be gathered in, and there shall 
be only one Faith, one Church upon earth (John x. 16). 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, thou Good Shepherd, who, on the wood of the 
cross, didst give thy life for the sheep, I beseech thee, by thy 
death, give me grace, by faithful obedience to thy voice and 
doctrine, to become worthy of a place among thy good sheep, 
the elect, and to obtain the everlasting life which thou hast 
promised them. 

What we must believe concerning Hope. 

" I lay down my life for my sheep." — John x. 15. 

Jesus Christ, by his death, has obtained for us, in this life, 
not only forgiveness of our sins, the grace and means of lead- 
ing lives pleasing to God, but also eternal happiness in the 
life to come, which we may confidently hope for, and surely 
shall obtain, if we fail not on our part. 

In what does eternal happiness consist ? 

In the clear contemplation and perfect love of God ; for our 



368 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

knowledge of him will be infinite, and nothing will hinder us 
from loving him alone ; and this will fill the soul with greater 
joy than all the pleasures of the world. 

What is necessary to obtain eternal happiness ? 

Before all else, the grace of God, which enlightens our faith, 
confirms our hope, inflames our love, and, through the holy 
sacraments, imparts the strength required to do good. 

Have we then nothing more to do ? 

Much, always. We must pray for the grace of God, and 
zealously co-operate with it, by keeping the commandments, 
and diligently using the means of grace. Since, as St. Augus- 
tine says, though God has created us without our concurrence, 
yet will he not save us unless we work with him. Only the 
faithful and diligent servant, who puts his talent to use, can 
enter into the joy of his Lord. 

What should encourage us in the hope of future happiness ? 

1. The goodness and mercy of God, who, from all eternity, 
has loved, us more than the mother loves her child ; and for 
our sake has sent his only-begotten Son, that through his death 
we might obtain life. How, therefore, should God, who 
even spared not his only Son, deny us heaven and the means 
of obtaining it ? 

2. The faithfulness of God to his pi°omises. He has 
promised us eternal happiness, and has often and distinctly de- 
clared that he would have all men saved. But God is not like 
men, who to-day say " yes," and to-morrow " no." He is the 
eternal and unchangeable Truth, and faithful to his promises. 
Should we not therefore hope for eternal life ? 

3. The omnipotence of God, which will not allow him to be 
thwarted by any one, in accomplishing his design. If we 
hope in the assistance of a rich man who promises us his aid, 
how much more should we not hope in God, who is Almighty ? 

But this should not induce us to hope in him presumptu- 
ously ; for he is as just as he is merciful, and rewards with the 
crown of justice only those who are faithful, and those who 
persevere in the combat till the end. 

When should we make an act of hope ? 

1. In time of tribulation, and of temptation against this 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 369 

virtue. 2. At receiving the holy sacraments. 3. Frequently 
during our ordinary life, and at the hour of death. 

The same is to be observed of acts of faith and charity. 



&l)irb Simbctii after ©aster. 

The Church continues to encourage us to rejoice and praise 
God for the resurrection of Jesus, and sings accordingly, at 
the Introit of the Mass, "Shout with glory to God, all the 
earth, allelujah. Sing ye a psalm to his name, allelujah. 
Give glory to his praise, allelujah ! allelujah ! allelujah ! Say 
unto God how terrible are thy works, Lord. In the mul- 
titude of thy strength, thy enemies shall lie to thee in vain 
(Ps. lxv.) 

Prayer. 

O God, who dost show to those that go astray the light of 
thy truth, that they may return to the way of justice, grant to 
all those who are numbered in the profession of Christianity, 
to reject those things that are inimical to this name, and to 
pursue those which are becoming. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (1 Peter ii. 11-19.) 

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, to refrain 
yourselves from carnal desires which war against the soul, having 
your conversation good among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak 
against you as evil doers, they may, by the good works which they 
shall behold in you, glorify God in the day of visitation. Be ye sub- 
ject therefore to every human creature for God's sake: whether it be 
to the king as excelling: or to governors as sent by him for the 
punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of the good: for so is 
the will of God, that by doing well you may put to silence the igno- 
rance of foolish men: as free, and not as making liberty a cloak for 
malice, but as the servants of God. Honor all men. Love the 
brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. Servants, be subject, to 
your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also 
to the froward. For this is thanks-worthy, in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 

16* 



370 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Brief Lessons. 

These admonitions of St. Peter are as useful as they are 
beautiful. Would that we might comply with them ! Pie re- 
minds, 1. That we are only pilgrims on earth, passing, as it 
were, through a foreign country. Let us not, therefore, fasten 
our hearts on the world and its goods, but deny ourselves all 
carnal and worldly pleasures, to gain those goods that are eter- 
nal. He admonishes us, 2. To lead an edifying life, particu- 
larly when we are among the adversaries of our faith, for, as 
an edifying course of life does great good, and awakens re- 
spect for the Church to which we belong, so an un-Catholic 
and unchristian life not only brings shame upon him who 
leads it, but gives scandal to non-Catholics, throws a false light 
upon the Church, and causes them to revile and despise her. 
He admonishes us, 3. To be subject to our superiors, for God's 
sake, for it is he who commands this obedience (Rom. xiii. 1). 
Thereby the Apostle forever condemns rebellion against the 
existing lawful authorities, even in case they should encroach 
upon and damage those interests which are the most import- 
ant — religious rights. Never were Christians more wronged 
than in the first century. Yet they rebelled not, but became 
more united among themselves, demanded redress in well- 
reasoned petitions, remained steadfast in the profession of the 
faith, discharged their obligations to the State with the greater 
strictness, persevered, and prayed incessantly to the Lord. 
This may serve for an example to us. 



Aspiration. 

O Jesus, I will impress deeply upon my heart the teaching 
of thy Apostle, that this world is not my home. Though I 
should meet in my pilgrimage many adversities, I will patiently 
combat them, and will not suffer any thing to keep me from 
the way to my true home, heaven. Give me thy grace, O 
God, to fulfil this resolution. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 371 

Gospel. (John xvi. 16-22.) 

At that time Jesus said to his disciples : A little while, and now 3-011 
shall not see me : and again a little while, and you shall see me : be- 
cause I go to the Father. Then some of his disciples said one to an- 
other : What is this that he saith to us : A little while, and you shall 
not see me : and again a little while, and you shall see me, and because 
I go to the Father ? They said therefore : What is this that he saith, 
a little while? we know not what he speaketh. And Jesus knew 
that they had a mind to ask him ; and he said to them : Of this do 
you inquire among yourselves, because I said : A little while, and you 
shall not see me : and again a little while, and you shall see me ? 
Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the 
world shall rejoice : and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow 
shall be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, hath sor- 
row, because her hour is come : but when she hath brought forth the 
child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is 
born into the world. So also you now indeed have sorrow, but I will 
see you again, and your heart shall rejoice ; and your joy no man shall 
take from you. 

What is the meaning of the expression, yet a little while f 

Jesus would thereby say, that he was about soon to leave his 
disciples, and that during the time of his passion they would 
have much to endure ; but that he would soon see them again, 
and that then no one should any more take their joy from 
them. He therefore speaks openly of his suffering and resur- 
rection. He calls the time of his passion only " a little while?'' 
What, indeed, are the sufferings of time, in comparison with 
the eternal joy to follow, but a small and trivial thing, passing 
away in the twinkling of an eye? (2 Cor. iv. 17, 18.) With 
reason, therefore, may those who, having suffered much on 
earth, now enjoy eternal happiness, sing with David, IVe have 
rejoiced for the days in tchich thou hast humbled us 7 for the 
years in which we have seen evil (Ps. lxxxix. 15). 

Why did Jesus tell his disciples beforehand of their sufferings 
and joys? 

1. That they might bear their trials the more easily, for 
heeded arrows hit not so hard. 2. That they might not be- 
lieve their master unable to have preserved them from suffer- 



372 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ings. 3. That by looking to the eternal joy, in sure expecta- 
tion of it, they might make light of present troubles, and keep 
up their courage ; as a woman readily forgets the pains of 
childbirth, for joy that a man is born into the world. There- 
fore, says St. Chrysostom, " Tell me, if you were called to a tem- 
poral kingdom, but had to spend the night before entering into 
your palace, where you were to be crowned, in a dark and of- 
fensive stable, would this be hard for you ? would you not 
bear it cheerfully, in expectation of the kingdom ?" Why, 
then, should we not live cheerfully in this valley of tears, amid 
hardships and adversities, when we have the hope of one day 
gaining heaven ? 

Aspiration. 

Enlighten me, O Holy Ghost, that I may rightly see the 
shortness of life, and its sorrows, and inflame my heart with 
hope of life eternal, that I may patiently bear all the miseries 
of time, and, like Jesus, reap in eternal happiness what I have 
sown here in tears. 

Encouragement to Patience in Adversity. 

" You shall lament and weep." — John xvi. 20. 

Many think that true happiness on earth consists in honors, 
riches, or pleasures, but how foolishly ! Christ, the eternal 
Truth, calls, not the rich, but the poor and persecuted, 
" blessed." He even predicts to his disciples, in this world, 
nothing but sorrows which would force them to tears ; and on 
the other hand, to the rich and great, who set their hearts on 
this world, he predicts in the world to come nothing but 
woe, mourning and weeping. How much, therefore, are they 
to be pitied, who, regardless of this truth, think of nothing else 
but to spend their days in luxury, and at the same time en- 
courage themselves in the illusory hope of reaching heaven, 
when Christ and all saints have ascended thither only by the 
way of the cross, and of suffering, and when it is certain that 
no one can have part in their joys who has not also first borne 
part of their sorrows. How consoling, then, to those who are 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 373 

suffering, is the prospect of a happy eternity, where distress, 
sorrow, pain, disgrace, are over forever, and where no one can 
take away from them their inexpressible, divine joy ! Shall 
we not do, bear, and suffer every thing to obtain it ? 

Prayer in Adversities. 

O most benign Jesus, thou wiliest that we shall only through 
tribulations enter into heaven ; thou thyself wouldst go no 
other way, neither didst th*ou show any other to thy disciples. 

In the same I also will cheerfully walk, firmly convinced 
tKit it will be best for me. I give myself entirely up to thy 
holy will ; deal with me according to thy good pleasure ; only 
give me thy grace, hold me up, and bring me through this 
present distress, to thee, the fountain of everlasting life. 
Amen. 



iFourtl) Stmuau after (faster. 

The Introit of the Mass of to-day is likewise a song of 
praise and thanksgiving from the ninety-seventh Psalm. Sing 
ye to the Lord a new song, allelujah, for the Lord hath done 
wonderful things, allelujah. He hath revealed his justice in 
the sight of the Gentiles, allelujah, allelujah. His right hand 
had wrought for him salvation, and his arm is holy. Glory 
be to the Father. 

Prayer. 
O God, who dost unite the hearts of the faithful in one will, 
grant to thy people to love what thou commandest, and to 
desire what thou dost promise, that among the changes of this 
world our hearts may be fixed on that place where true joys 
reside. Through our Lord. Amen. 

Epistle. (James i. 17-21.) 
Dearly beloved : Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from 
above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is 



374 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

no change, nor shadow of alteration. For of his own will hath he 
begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning 
of his creature. You know, my dearest brethren: and let every 
man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger. For the 
anger of man worketh not the justice of God. Wherefore casting 
away all nncleanness, and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness 
receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 

Practice. 

By these words of James, the Church teaches us that every 
good gift, and nothing but good, comes from God. But the 
most precious gift is, that God of his grace through the doctrines 
and institutions of Christianity, has made us new men, children 
of God, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven. Could God 
have given us any thing greater and more excellent? The 
Church admonishes us, further, to walk worthy of this grace; 
that is, as new men, as children of God, to love God as our 
Father, to listen to his word willingly, without cavilling or dis- 
pleasure, when he chastises us, and to shun all impurity, anger, 
and multiplicity of words, in which " there shall not want si?i" 
(Prov. x. 19). 

Aspiration. 

Help me, O God, to preserve the grace received in baptism ; 
give me, therefore, a great love for thy word. Deliver me from 
all inordinate passions, that I may walk worthy of thee, with 
pureness and patience. 



(John xvi. 5-14.) 

At that time Jesus said to his disciples: I go to him that sent me, 
and none of you asketh me : Whither goest thou ? But because I 
have spoken these things to you, sorrow hath filled your heart. But 
I tell you the truth : it is expedient to you that I go : for if I go not, 
the Paraclete will not come to you : but if I go, I will send him to 
you. And when he is come, he will convince the world of sin, and 
of justice, and of judgment. Of sin: because they believed not in 
me. And of justice: because I go to the Father ; and you shall see 
me no longer. And of judgment: because the prince of this world 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 375 

is already judged. I have yet many things to say to you: but you 
cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, 
he will teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself: but 
what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak, and the things that 
are come, he shall show you. He shall glorify me; because he shall 
receive of mine, and shall show it to you. 



Why did Jesus say, " I go to my Father ?" 

To give a reproof to his disciples for giving themselves up 
to excessive sorrow over his departure, which was to be the 
means of purifying and strengthening their virtue, and of per- 
fecting the work of redemption, for them and for all the world. 
Learn hence, not to give way to too much sorrow in ad- 
versity. 

Why could not the Paraclete come before the ascension of 
Christ ? 

Because the work of redemption must first be accomplished ; 
Christ must first die, must be glorified, and must reconcile 
man to God, before the Spirit of truth, of consolation, and of 
adoption into the family of God, could descend upon them. 
Hereby we should learn, that if we would receive the fulness 
of grace of the Holy Ghost, we must first purify our hearts, 
and be reconciled to God. 

How has the Holy Ghost convinced the world of sin, of 
justice, and of judgment ? 

He has convinced the world, 1. Of sin, in that he brought 
the Jews to know and lament the monstrous crime which they 
had committed upon Christ, and this he effected particularly 
at Pentecost. 

2. Of justice, in that he taught the innocence and holiness 
of Jesus, on account of which God had given him a kingdom, 
and required men to worship him as the true God. 

3. Of judgment, in that everywhere the prince of darkness 
was overcome, his kingdom destroyed, the temples of idolatry 
cast down, and in their place, by seemingly weak means, the 
kingdom of truth and virtue was established. 

Let us pray to God to send us also the Holy Ghost, that 
we may know the grievousness of our sins, may break the 



376 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

strength of evil, may adore Jesus as our God and Lord, and 
glorify him by our life. 

Why did not Jesus say to his disciples all that he had to say 
to them ? 

Because, before the death and resurrection of Christ, the 
Apostles were incumbered by too many prejudices, and were as 
yet too ignorant to receive truths which required a previous 
thorough instruction. He promised them, therefore, a second 
teacher — the Holy Ghost — and fulfilled his promise. We learn 
hereby, 1. That when we have to instruct others, we should 
not teach them things too high and difficult for them to un- 
derstand ; 2. That every thing depends on the grace and illu- 
mination of the Holy Ghost, without which, though Christ 
himself should instruct us, we can comprehend and retain 
nothing. 

How does the Holy Ghost teach all truths ? 

By preserving the pastors and teachers of the Church from 
all errors, in their teaching of faith and morals, and by instruct- 
ing each member of the Church in the truths of salvation. 

Aspiration. 

Whither am I going ? Will my life bring me to God ? O 
my God and my Lord, direct my feet in the way of thy com- 
mandments, and keep my heart free from sin, that the Holy 
Ghost, finding nothing in me worthy of punishment, may teach 
me all truth, and bring me safely to thee, who art the eternal 
truth. Amen. 

Instruction on Grace. 

" But when lie, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will teach you all truth." — 
John xvi. 13. 

What is grace ? 

It is the supernatural assistance of God, whereby man is 
enabled to know what is good, to will it, and to fulfil it. 

What power has grace ? 

An almighty power, for it is the immediate assistance of 
God himself. With it we can do all things (Phil. iv. 13). By 
it the wicked become good ; the weak, strong ; the tempted, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 377 

invincible ; the just, more just. It makes whatever we do or 
suffer pleasing to God, and merits eternal life. 

Is grace, then, necessary to man ? 

Yes ; as necessary, indeed, as the sun to the earth, the liv- 
ing principle to the plant, the soul to the body. Without it, 
man can do nothing (John xv. 5) ; he can neither believe, 
hope, love, or suffer with merit, nor think, will, or accomplish 
any thing pleasing to God. Without grace, man is a branch 
cut off from the vine. 

Is grace given to every one ? 

Yes, God gives to every man, without exception, sufficient 
grace to work out his salvation. This we might expect from 
the goodness and love of God, and the Holy Scriptures teach 
it expressly. God has created all men after his image ; to re- 
deem all, the Father has given his only-begotten Son ; for all, 
Jesus has bled on the cross ; and it is the will of God that 
none should be lost, but that all should be saved, for which 
reason the Gospel was to be preached to all nations. 

If grace is so efficacious, and is given to all, how is it that 
there are so many errors, and so many unbelieving and corrupt 
men ? 

It is because men do not accept and co-operate with the 
grace of God. It is the will of God that they should become 
and remain good, yet he forces no one, but every one must, of 
his own free will, follow the leadings of grace. Without this 
free obedience, without this free co-operation, not even God 
himself can save men. Just as, according to the expression of 
St. Chrysostom, the earth cannot bring forth fruit without 
seed, and the seed itself comes to nought without cultivation, 
in like manner neither man by himself, nor grace without 
man's free consent, can bring forth the fruits of salvation. 
Grace and man must work together. 

How does God impart to us grace ? 

In many ways, but particularly, 1. Through conscience, by 
inspiration, and by inward enlightenment. 2. Through the 
Church, by the holy sacraments, by sermons, by Christian doc- 
trine, and by all the other means of grace confided to her. 
3. Through good books, through parents, through teachers, 



378 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

&c. 4. Through all external nature, through good and bad 
fortune, and through all the events of life. 

What should we learn hereby ? 

1. That no one should trust to his own wisdom or power. 
2. That no one who lives in sin and perishes thereby can ac- 
cuse God, since he gives sufficient grace to all. God wills, if 
only thou wiliest. 3. That even the greatest sinner should not 
despair, but put the most unlimited confidence in the power of 
grace. 4. That every one who would reach the goal, should 
earnestly, actively, and constantly follow the leading of grace ; 
and, in order to do so, 5. Should receive frequently the holy 
sacraments, give ear to the voice within him, attend zealously 
the Christian instructions, and in general be attentive to the 
voice of grace, wherever it comes from. To-day, if you will 
hear his voice, harden not your hearts (Ps. xciv. 8). 



iFiftl) Sunbag after ©aster. 

The Introit of the Mass is again a joyful thanksgiving for 
our redemption. Declare the voice of joy, and let it be heard, 
allelujah y declare it even to the ends of the world, the Lord 
hath delivered his people, allelujah, allelujah (Isaias xlviii. 20). 
Shout with joy to God, all the earth, sing ye a pscdm to his 
name, give glory to his praise. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 
O God, from whom all good things proceed, grant to thy 
suppliants that by thy inspiration we may think those things 
that are right, and by thy direction perform them. Through 
our Lord. 

Epistle. (James i. 22-27.) 

Dearly beloved : Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, de- 
ceiving your own selves. For if a man be a hearer of the word, and 
not a doer, lie shall be compared to a man beholding his natural coun- 
tenance in a glass. For he beheld himself, and went his way, and 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 379 

presently forgot what manner of man he was. But he that hath 
looked into the perfect law of liberty, and hath continued therein, not 
becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work ; this man shall 
be blessed in his deed. And if any man think himself to be religious, 
not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this man's reli- 
gion is vain. Religion clean and undented before God and the Father, 
is this : to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation ; and to 
keep one's self unspotted from this world. 

Practice. 

One may know the truly pious and God-fearing man by this 
— that he not only hears the word of God, but when the divine 
will is made known to him, does it ; in particular, he bridles 
his tongue, refraining from all uncharitable, false, or wanton 
words, imitates Christ in helping the poor and forsaken, by 
counsel and assistance, contemns the world, and shuns its false 
reasonings, its foolish customs, its scandalous examples. Is our 
piety of this sort ? 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, true guide of our souls, give me grace of true piety, 
as St. James describes it, that I may faithfully serve thee. 

Gospel. (John xvi. 23-30.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples : Amen, amen, I say to you, 
if you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you. 
Hitherto you have not asked any thing in my name. Ask, and you 
shall receive : that your joy may be full. These things I have spoken 
to you in proverbs. The hour cometh when I will no more speak 
to you in proverbs, but will show you plainly of the Father. In 
that day you shall ask in my name: and I say not to you, that I will 
ask the Father for you. For the Father himself loveth you, because 
you have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I 
came forth from the Father, and am come into the world : again I 
leave the world, and I go to the Father. His disciples say to him: 
Behold now thou speakest plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now 
we know that thou knowest all things, and thou needest not that any 
man should ask thee. By this we believe that thou comest forth from 
God. 



380 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Why does God will to be prayed to ? 

Not as if he were ignorant of our wants, but, 1. That we 
know and confess that all good things come from him, and 
that without him we are nothing but poverty and weakness, 
everywhere needing his gracious help. 2. That we may, there- 
fore, put our confidence in him, trying to make ourselves worthy 
of his divine grace, by thoughts pleasing to him, and valuing 
more, and using better, the graces we have received. 

Does God always hear our prayers ? 

Yes, when we pray in the name of Jesus. This he has most 
assuredly promised. 

What is it to pray in the name of Jesus ? 

It is, 1. To pray according to his doctrine, that is, with such 
intentions as conform to his instructions on prayer. 2. Ac- 
cording to his most holy example, with resignation to the will 
of God. 3. With confidence in the merits of his death and 
intercession. The Church has accordingly adopted the praise- 
worthy usage of ending all her prayers to God with the words, 
" Through Jesus Christ our Lord ;" that is, through the merits 
of our Redeemer and Mediator, the head of the Church. 

What should we pray for according to the example of 
Christ? 

Before all, for the glory of God, for the spread of his king- 
dom, for the graces necessary to salvation ; in general, for the 
spiritual goods which Christ has obtained for us. We may 
also ask temporal goods from God, but only conditionally, as 
Jesus in the garden of Gethsemani asked that the chalice 
might pass from him. 

How shall we pray according to the example of Jesus ? 

1. With becoming preparation • which consists in disengag- 
ing the thoughts from earthly things, placing one's self in the 
presence of God, asking him for the grace of praying rightly, 
and avoiding whatever distracts the mind. 

2. With humility ; which ascribes every thing to God, and 
expects every thing from him. The humble publican found 
grace before the Lord. 

3. With the heart ; and not merely with the lips and bodily 
gesture. For God is a spirit, and requires us to serve him in 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 381 

spirit and truth (John iv. 24). In praying, we must remember 
with whom we speak ; whatever we propose to him should be 
done with earnestness and zeal, as we would undertake an 
affair of the very greatest importance. 

4. With a living faith and fall confidence in God's infinite 
goodness a?id faithfulness. Thus, the woman who was twelve 
years sick, prayed and was heard, and made whole (Matt. 
ix. 22). 

5. With resignation to the will of God, like Jesus on the 
Mount of Olivet ; leaving it to God to give us what is best 
for us. 

6. With proper outward reverence. 

V. With perseverance (Luke xii. 40). The fickle is like the 
wave of the sea. Monica prayed eighteen years for the con- 
version of her son, Augustine. 

8. Above all, toe should endeavor to be in the state of grace, 
because God does not hear the sinner ; but the continual 
prayer of the just man availeth much (James v. 16). 

What is the object of the customs and bodily postures which 
are used in the Catholic Church during prayer ? 

To awaken in our minds the above-mentioned dispositions, 
and to suggest holy thoughts in praying ; to represent out- 
wardly what passes inwardly in our hearts, and thereby to edify 
others and incite them to devotion. Thus, for instance, oral 
prayer is an acknowledgment before men of God's majesty, 
and as such encourages those present to the same; the un- 
covering of the head, the folding and lifting of the hands, the 
kneeling and prostration of the body, are so many expressions 
of reverence and submissiveness before the majesty of God, of 
humility, and of desire to be heard. The sign of the cross re- 
minds us of the Crucified, and is at the same time a confession 
of his name ; by making it on the forehead, lips, and breast, is 
signified that we intend, as we are bound, to honor Christ in 
thought, word, and work ; by the words which Ave use thereat, 
we confess that all the benefits received by us through Christ, 
have for their author the triune God, whom we should glorify 
in our lives. Many of these customs were already in use be- 
fore Christ, and were observed by him; others were alter- 



382 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

wards introduced by his Apostles and their successors. No 
Catholic should neglect them, or be ashamed of them, or say 
that it is sufficient to worship God in spirit. Not only the 
spirit, but the body also belongs to God ; Christ has given us 
the example, and who could believe in your reverence for God, 
if you should present yourself before him as you would not be 
permitted to do before an earthly monarch? 

Why is our prayer often not heard ? 

1. Often because we ask for something that would be more 
hurtful than profitable to us. In such case God deals with us 
as prudent parents do, who deny to their children things that 
will injure them, although they may be grieved thereat. 

2. Because he would test our patience and perseverance. 

3. Because the above-mentioned requisites are so often want- 
ing to our prayers. 

When ought we to pray ? 

At all times (Luke xviii. l) ; which is done when at all our un- 
dertakings we make a good intention, when we keep our heart 
always united to God, and to that end send up frequently to 
God short prayers and aspirations. At certain times, however, 
we must apply ourselves directly to prayer, as at, 1. Morning, 
noon, and evening (Ps. liv. 18); before and after meals, and 
at the striking of the hour. We cannot want for time ; let us 
only make the trial. God's blessing will make up for loss of 
time. And is it not just that we should think often of God, 
when he thinks always of us? 2. At the divine service, in 
Church, or if hindered from attending it, then at the same or 
some convenient hour at home. 3. In time of any great temp- 
tation. 4. At receiving the holy sacraments. 5. At under- 
taking any affair of importance. 6. In the hour of death. 

Which is the best of all prayers ? 

The Lord's Prayer ; but though we say it a hundred times, 
it will fail to produce its beneficial effects, if we barely repeat 
it without meaning or purpose. When, therefore, you say the 
Lord's Prayer, think what you say. It is related of St. Fran- 
cis of Assisi, that he was once three days in saying the Lord's 
Prayer. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 383 

Short Explanation of the Lord's Prayer. 

Why does this prayer commence with "Our Father?" 

To encourage us thereby to a child-like confidence in God, 
as our Father, who loves all men, and is ever ready to help 
them ; and at the same time to remind us of the reverence 
due to him, which are, as was said above, necessary requisites 
to prayer. 

Why do we say, " who art in Heaven," since God is every- 
where ? 

To admonish us to lift up our hearts with longing to Heaven, 
where lies our true home — where God has set up the throne of 
his kingdom. 

What do we ask of God in this prayer? 

In the first petition, " hallowed be thy name," we ex- 
press the ardent desire that Gocl may be known and loved 
by all men, and that his name may be glorified by a Chris- 
tian life. 

In the second petition, " thy kingdom come," we pray God 
to enter and rule in our hearts by his grace, to spread his 
Church throughout the whole world, and after our death to 
award us eternal happiness. 

In the third petition, " thy will be done on earth,, as it is in 
Heaven," we offer up ourselves entirely to God, and declare 
ourselves ready to be subject to the dispositions of his holy 
will, as the angels are in Heaven, and pray him for grace to 
do this. In these three petitions, Christ teaches us to seek 
first the kingdom of God and his justice, that all other things 
may be added unto us (Luke xii. 31). 

In the fourth petition, " give us this day our daily bread," 
we ask for all things which we need day by day ; for the body, 
as food and clothing, and for the soul, as grace and the divine 
word ; that God may avert from us failure of the crops, hail, 
and every calamity, and grant us a prosperous season. The 
words "this day" remind us to pray daily, but for such things 
only as are necessary, for ourselves and others ; to avoid all 
immoderate anxiety about the future, and to expect, with con- 
fidence, our daily sustenance from God. The confidence, how- 



3S4 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ever, which would consume the sustenance of many days in 
one, would be presumption. 

In the fifth petition, " forgive us our trespasses, as we for- 
give them that trespass against us," we confess ourselves to be 
sinners, and pray God for forgiveness, but only in so far as we 
forgive them that injure us. We must therefore remember 
well, that we shall not obtain forgiveness from God, so long as 
we have in our hearts hatred against any one. 

In the sixth petition, " and lead us not into temptation," we 
acknowledge our frailty, and, with this conviction, we ask of 
God to remove temptations from us, or, if he shall permit us to 
fall into such as the world, the flesh, and the devil prepare for 
us, to strengthen us with his grace not to consent to them, 
but, by combating and overcoming them, to gain the merit 
and the crown of justice. 

In the seventh petition, "but deliver us from evil," we pray 
God to preserve us from spiritual evils ; from error, sin, and 
the occasions of sin ; an evil death and hell ; also from pesti- 
lence, famine, war, and all temporal evils, so far as may be for 
the salvation of our souls. 

By the word " amen" — so be it — we pray God that what we 
have asked may be fulfilled. 

On Processions, and particularly of those on St. Mark's Day, 
and during Holy Cross Week. 

What are processions ? 

They are solemn religious assemblages of persons marching 
together, by means of which the faithful unanimously either 
ask God for grace and mercy, as on St. Mark's day and the 
Rogation days, or thank him publicly for his benefits, as on 
Corpus Christi day, or testify in general, by outward manifes- 
tations, their inward joy and veneration. 

When did these processions commence? 

They were already in use in the first century of the Church. 
Tertullian, St. John Chrysostom, and many others, testify, that 
whereas the first Christians, in time of persecution, were obliged 
to assemble one or two at a time, yet in time of peace they 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 385 

marched to their churches in regular order, with singing of 
psalms. 

Processions were established under the old law. God com- 
manded a procession, with the ark of the covenant, to go seven 
times round the walls of Jericho, which, at the seventh round, 
fell down (Josue vi. 4, 5). By the order of David, the same 
ark was carried in procession from Cariathiarim to the house 
of Obededom, and thence to Hebron (2 Kings v. 6). Solomon 
instituted a splendid procession when the ark of the covenant 
m;\s brought, by priests and Levites, into the magnificent new 
temple (3 Kings viii. 4, 5, 6). Christ himself entered Jerusa- 
lem, on Palm Sunday, with a procession of a multitude of 
people (John xii. 12, 13). At Antioch, in the time of Julian 
the Apostate, there was a solem procession to transport the relics 
of the holy martyr Babilas. At Milan there was a great pro- 
cession, at which St. Augustine and St. Ambrose were both 
present, and of which they have given us an account ; in it 
were carried the relics of St. Gervasius and St. Protasius, by 
touching which a blind man received his sight. If abuses and 
disorders take place at processions, let these be abolished, but 
not the processions themselves. 

What caused processions to be introduced ? 

During the first three centuries many Christians were put 
to death for the faith. When the persecutions were over, 
the faithful sought out the bodies of these martyrs, and 
brought them to the churches in triumph, singing hymns and 
psalms. 

The same was done when relics were translated from one 
church to another. When a bishop officiated, his priests, 
deacons, and sub-deacons went in procession to his house, and 
in the same manner conducted him to the church, singing 
psalms. When princes arrived in a city of their dominions, it 
was customary to bring them, in procession, to the principal 
church. This was also done with the dead, before obsequies 
were performed. 

What is the significance of processions ? 

They are intended to be, 1. A public profession, before the 
whole world, of our faith in God's majesty and omnipresence, 
17 



386 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

and of our dependence on him. 2. A solemn confession of our 
belief in Christ crucified, and a joyous thanksgiving for all the 
graces procured for us through him. 3. A visible representa- 
tion of the unity of the Catholic Church in the oneness of feel- 
ing and of devotion which animates all her children. 4. An 
effective encouragement to confidence in God. For shall not 
the wonders of omnipotence in nature — shall not the living faith 
of our brethren, incite us thereto? Finally, they are, 5. An 
emblem of our pilgrimage on earth, reminding us that we have 
here no abiding-place; but that we are journeying to our own 
country. Processions have accordingly a deep Christian sig- 
nificance, which comes forth from and leads back to the doc- 
trines of Christianity. 

Why are crosses and banners carried in processions ? 

The cross signifies that we are gathered in the name of Jesus 
the crucified, and that we commence and fulfil our devotion in 
his name, hoping thereby to obtain, through his merits, what 
ever we ask from our Heavenly Father. The banners indicate, 
firstly, that we are spiritual combatants, and invite us, accord 
ing to our vows, to fight with one mind, for the honor of God 
and our salvation, against our enemies; secondly, they indicate 
the triumph of Jesus over death and hell, and the glorious vic- 
tory which the Christian religion has obtained over the Jews 
and heathens through the labor and sweat of apostles and the 
blood of martyrs. 

What was the origin of the processions which are made on 
St. Mark's day, the Rogation days, and of those around 
fields? 

The procession on St. Mark's day was already in existence 
in the sixth century, and was brought into general acceptation 
through St. Gregory the Great, in the following maimer : In 
the year 590, there raged at Rome a contagious pestilence, 
which caused persons who yawned or sneezed to fall down and 
die (hence comes the custom of saying to one who sneezes, 
" God bless you," and of making the sign of the cross over 
the mouth when one gapes). St. Gregory thereupon appointed 
a great procession, in which the picture of Mar}', painted ac- 
cording to tradition by St. Luke, was carried, and the Litany 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. ?>&7 

of all Saints sung. Wherever the procession came, the plague 
disappeared. 

Tins was called the great or sevenfold procession, because St. 
Gregory had caused it to be composed of seven classes, or 
ranks, namely — the secular and regular clergy, the boys, young 
men, girls, married persons, and widows. On the day on 
which it was held, there was seen upon the castle of Rome 
the figure of an angel sheathing a bloody sword, to denote 
the cessation of the plague. In memory of this event the 
gilted statue of the archangel Michael was set up on the castle, 
which is since, to this day, called the Castle of St. Angelo. 
By degrees the custom of holding processions on St. Mark's 
day to obtain the preservation of the fruits of the earth, be- 
came general in the Catholic Church. 

The processions on the Rogation days originated in France. 
The city of Vienne, in the year 469, suffered very much by 
earthquakes, failure of crops, and other calamities. The pious 
Bishop Mamertus saw in the events the judgment of God, and 
called upon his flock to appease Heaven by penances, proces- 
sions and prayers during the three days before Ascension day. 
The example of Mamertus was followed by all the French 
bishops, and the custom finally became general. These three 
Rogation days serve also as a preparation for the feast of the 
Ascension, which brings before us the fact, that we have the 
most powerful intercessor in our Saviour, who is now enthroned 
at the right hand of the Father. May we attend these proces- 
sions with piety and devotion. 

Processions around fields and lands are also held to pray 
God, the Lord of Nature, with his kind hand to bless the soil, 
to preserve the fruits of the earth, and as he gives to all 
animals their food at the right time, so also to provide for us 
our necessary subsistence. Thereby, also, we promise God, as 
good children, to use his gifts to his honor and to the good of 
ourselves and our brethren. 



388 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



legation iBa^s. 

Introit of the Mass. He heard my voice from his holy 
temple, alleh/jah, and my cry before him came into his ears, 
allelujah, allelujah (Ps. xvii.) I will love thee, Lord, my 
strength y the Lord is my firmament, and my refuge, and my 
deliverer. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who in 
affliction confide in thy mercy, may be defended by thy pro- 
tection against all adversities. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (James v. 16-20.) 

'Dearly beloved : Confess your sins one to another : and pray one 
for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of 
a just man availeth much. Elias was a man passible like unto us ; 
and with prayer lie prayed that it. might not rain upon the earth, and 
it rained not for three years and six months. And he prayed 
again: and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her 
fruit. My brethren, if any of you err from the truth, and one con- 
vert him : he must know, that he who causeth a sinner to be con- 
verted from the error of his way, shall save his soul from death, and 
shall cover a multitude of sins. 

Aspiration. 

-Favorably receive our vows, we beseech thee, O Lord, that 
while we receive thy gifts in tribulation, we may from thy con- 
solation increase in thy love. Through Christ. 

Gospel. (Luke xi. 5-13.) 

At that time Jesus said to his disciples: Which of you shall have a 
friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and shall say to him: Friend, 
lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine is come off his journey 
to me, and I have not what to set before him. And he from within 
should answer and say : Trouble me not, the door is now shut, and 
my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. Yet if 
he shall continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise 
and give him, because he is his friend ; yet because of his importunity 



THE EPISTLES AN© GOSPELS. 389 

he will rise, and give him as many as lie needeth. And I say to you, 
Ask, and it shall be given yon: seek, and you shall find: knock, and 
it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh, receiveth : and 
he that seeketh, findeth : and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. 
And which of you if he ask his father bread, will he give him a stone? 
or a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an 
egg, will he reach him a scorpion? If you then being evil, know how 
to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father 
from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask him? 

PRATERS. 

To avert the Punishment of God. 

O God, who by sin art offended, and by penance pacified, 
mercifully regard the prayers of thy people, making supplica- 
tions to thee, and turn away the scourges of thy anger, which 
we deserve for our sins. Through Christ, our Lord. 

In time of Famine. 
Give, O Lord, we beseech thee, the desired effect to our 
supplications, and mercifully avert famine, that the world may 
know that these scourges come from thy anger, and cease 
through thy mercy. Through Christ, our Lord. 

For Rain. 

O God, in whom we live, move, and are, give us a prosper- 
ous rain, that we being abundantly provided with temporal 
goods, may with more confidence desire the eternal. Through 
Christ, our Lord. 

For Fair Weather. 

We cry to thee, O Lord, and humbly ask thee, give us 
serene weather. Let us who are justly punished for our sins, 
experience thy guiding mercy and kindness. Through Christ, 
our Lord. Amen. 

For all in Affliction. 

Almighty, Eternal God, consolation of the afflicted and 
strength of the weak, let the supplications of those reach thee 



390 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

who cry to thee in their adversities, that they may experience 
in their need that thy mercy has delivered them. Through 
Christ, our Lord. 



&l)e iFcctst of tfye Recension, 

At the Introit of the Mass, the Church sings the words 
which the Angels spoke to the Apostles when Jesus ascended 
to heaven. Ye men of Galilee, why wonder you, looking up 
to heaven f Allelujah. He shall so come as you have seen him 
going up into heaven, allelujah! allelujah! allelujah! (Acts 
i. 11.) clap your hands, all ye nations, shout unto God 
with the voice of joy. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we who believe 
that thy only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, ascended this day 
into heaven, may ourselves also, in mind, dwell in heavenly 
things. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Acts i. 1-11.) 

The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, of all things which Jesus 
began to do and to teach, until the day on which, giving command- 
ments by the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom he had chosen, he was 
taken up. To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion, 
by many proofs, for forty days appearing to them, and speaking of 
the kingdom of God. And eating together with them, he commanded 
them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for 
the promise of the Father, which you have heard, saith he, by my 
mouth : for John, indeed, baptized with water, bat you shall be baptized 
with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. They therefore who were 
come together asked him, saying : Lord, wilt thou at this time restore 
again the kingdom to Israel? But he said to them : It is not for you 
to know the times or moments which the Father hath put in his own 
power. But you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming 
upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all 
Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth. 
And when he had said these things, while they looked on, he was 
raised up: and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 301 

they were beholding him going up to heaven, behold two men stood 
by them in white garments, who also said: Ye men of Galilee, why 
stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from 
you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven. 

Explanation. 

For forty days after his resurrection, Jesus remained with 
his disciples, to convince them of the truth of his resurrection, 
to teach them in regard to his kingdom, that is, his Church, 
and their vocation ; and as they still were thinking of an 
earthly kingdom to be established by Christ, he referred them 
to the instruction of the Holy Ghost, and then ascended to 
heaven, whence he shall come to be our judge. 

Rejoce over the instructions which are preserved for you 
through the Church; but rejoice especially that Jesus has 
taken possession of the glory gained by his most profound 
humiliations, for now he is there an intercessor for thee ; there 
he prepares for thee a mansion ; there is now thy home. To-day 
look up to heaven where Christ is, hope, suffer, love, and pray. 

I rejoice, O King of heaven and earth, that thou art this 
day come into thy kingdom and royalty. Ye nations of the 
earth, sing praises to our God ; sing the praises of our King, for 
he has ascended on high, and led captivity captive. Allelujah. 

Gospel. (Mark xvi. 14-20.) 

At that time : As the eleven were at table, Jesus appeared to them, 
and he upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, 
because they did not believe them who had seen him after he was 
risen again. And he said to them : Go ye into the whole world, and 
preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is bap- 
tized, shall be saved : but he that believeth not shall be condemned. 
And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they 
shall cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues: they shall 
take up serpents: and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall 
not hurt them: they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they 
shall recover. And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was 
taken up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God. But 
they going forth preached everywhere: the Lord working withal, 
and confirming the word with signs that followed. 



3\)2 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

What is contained in the words of Jesus, Go ye into all the 
world, and preach the Gospel to every creature f 

They contain many truths : 1. That Jesus instituted a special 
office of teaching in the Apostles and their successors. 2. That 
no one should assume to himself the office of teaching and 
preaching, but must have his mission from the lawful pastors 
of the Church, as the Apostles had from Christ. 3. That as 
the Church must teach all that Christ commanded, and as he 
commanded, so we must believe and observe whatever the 
Church commands us to believe and to do, without presuming 
to say, " I accept this, and reject that." 4. That God would 
save all men, since he commands his Gospel to be published to 
all. If this design of God's be not fulfilled in the case of many, 
certainly it is not he that is to blame, but man himself, who 
either refuses to believe, or does not live according to his be- 
lief, or else makes himself unworthy of the grace of enlighten- 
ment by his obstinacy. How thankful should we be to God, 
that he caused us to be born among a people to whom the 
Gospel was preached ! But let us remember well, that faith 
saves us only when we live according to it, and that otherwise 
we shall only be the more severely punished. 

Is it not all one whether a man believes at all, what he be- 
lieves, and how he lives ? 

No. 1. It is not the same thing whether a man believes or 
not. For if God, the Creator of the world, commands or for- 
bids any thing, no creature has the right to refuse obedience ; 
when eternal Wisdom speaks, it is to the last degree unreason- 
able to raise doubts. But God has spoken ; heaven and earth 
testify to it ; all history testifies to it by innumerable events, 
by undeniable miracles, by true prophecies. 2. Again, it is 
not the same thing as to what a man believes — whether he 
stands by this or that creed. God is a God of truth, and truth 
is one, as he is one. Now if God has spoken and revealed to 
men what they must believe and do to please him, it is surely 
clear that man can only please God and be happy, when he 
believes and observes all that God has revealed. Not all 
creeds are true, therefore, because truth is one, and only one 
creed can contain all that God has revealed. It is not, accord- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 393 

ingly, all one thing what we believe, so long as God wills man 
to believe what he has commanded to be believed. Indiffer- 
entism, therefore, in matters of faith is absurdity — an actual 
denial, contempt, and blasphemy of God and the truth, be- 
cause it virtually asserts that it is all one in the sight of God 
whether we believe in him or not, what we believe of him, and 
how we serve him. 3. It is not all one how we live. We 
must carry out, in acts, what we believe (Gal. v. 6) ; for faith 
without works is, as St. Anselm says, no faith of Christians, 
but the faith of devils. 

Why is the gift of miracles more rare now-a-days, than it 
was in the early times ? 

St. Gregory replies very beautifully to this question, by say- 
ing, that these signs were particularly necessary at the com- 
mencement of the Church ; that by such undeniable evidences 
of divine Omnipotence, the truth <of the Christian doctrine, and 
the divine mission of those who proclaimed it, might be known, 
and all men might be converted to it. The same thing has 
taken place in later times, when the Gospel has been first made 
known to heathens, for example, by St. Francis Xavier. The 
faithful now have less need of such tokens. God has given 
them — in the fulfilment of his promises, in the preservation of 
his Church in spite of all storms, in keeping alive the dispersed 
Jewish race — evidences which, though less striking to the eye, 
are no less miraculous than those earlier signs. However, the 
gift of miracles has never ceased in the Catholic Church. The 
lives of all the saints, down to our own day, contain a multi- 
tude of indisputable miracles, and in a spiritual manner they 
are taking place every day; for surely the renewal of the spirit 
is as great a miracle as to restore the dead to life. St. Chry- 
sostom, therefore, says that Christians even now cast out devils, 
when, by penance, they banish sin. They speak new tongues 
when they no more talk of sinful, earthly things, but of those 
which are heavenly. They take up serpents, says St. Bernard, 
when they stifle their sinful inclinations; and drink poison with- 
out harm, when they dwell uncorrupted amid dangers and 
occasions of sin. They lay hands upon the sick and they re- 
cover, says St. Gregory, when they teach the ignorant, and 

17- 



394 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

bring back the erring to the way of truth. Do this, O Chris- 
tian, and you will have done wonderful works, — more profit- 
able to yourself and others, than if you had performed the 
greatest miracles. 

Where and how did Christ ascend to heaven ? 

From Mount Olivet, the place where he entered upon his 
passion, that from the same place he might enter upon his 
glory, and we might learn that the cross and suffering exalt us 
to heaven. He ascended by his own power, in the presence of 
his Apostles, after he had blessed them, and now sits as our 
eternal mediator, at the right hand of the Father. 

Thus has Christ, as the prophets predicted, opened the king- 
dom of heaven, not to himself only, but to all believers of all 
time. What a triumph ! and what a joyful thought for us pil- 
grims on earth ! Let us, then, says St. Augustine, in heart, 
ascend with Christ, that when the time comes we may follow 
him in body also. But we must know, dear brethren, that 
neither pride, nor avarice, nor impurity can ascend with Christ, 
our Lord, for pride does not keep company with the teacher of 
humility, nor wickedness with the source of all good, nor im- 
purity with the Son of the Virgin (Serm. II. de Ascens.) 

Aspiration. 

O King of glory ! who didst on this day ascend victoriously 
above the heavens, leave us not orphans, but send us, from the 
Father, the spirit of truth whom thou hast promised, and re- 
ceive us all into thy glory. 

Why, on this day, is the Easter-candle extinguished and car- 
ried away after the gospel ? 

It is done in remembrance of the hour in which Christ, sig- 
nified by the Easter-candle, is removed from his Apostles. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 395 



Sixtt) Snn'bnn after (faster. 

On this day, and throughout the following week, we have, 
according to the intention of the Church, to prepare ourselves 
for the feast of Pentecost, that we may be worthy to receive 
the gifts of the Holy Ghost. The Church, therefore, at the 
Introit of the Mass, entreats with David : Hear, Lord, my 
voice, with which I have cried to thee, allelujah. My heart 
hath said to thee, I hare sought thy face ; thy face, Lord, 
will L seek ; turn not air ay thy face from me, allelujah, allelu- 
jah (Ps. xxvi.) The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom 
shall I fear f Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O Almighty and everlasting God, grant us ever to entertain 
a devout affection towards thee, and to serve thy majesty with 
a sincere heart. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (1 Peter iv. 7-11.) 

Dearly beloved : Be prudent, and watch in prayers. But before all 
things have a constant mutual charity among yourselves: for charity 
covereth a multitude of sins. Psing hospitality one towards another 
without murmuring. As every man hath received grace, ministering 
the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of 
God. If any man speak, let him speak as the words of God. If any 
man minister, let him do it as of the power which God administereth : 
that in all things God may be honored through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

Practice. 

The virtues which St. Peter here recommends are excellent 
preparatives for receiving the Holy Ghost, for nothing makes 
us more worthy of his grace, than temperance, prayer, charity, 
unity, and hospitality towards our neighbors. Endeavor, there- 
fore, to exercise these virtues, and say every day during the 
following week, this short prayer : 



6\)§ INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Prayer for the Gift of the Holy Ghost. 

Come, O Holy Ghost, who hast united people of all tongues 
in unity of faith, fill the hearts of those who believe in thee, 
and kindle in them the fire of divine love. Amen. 

Gospel. (John xv. 26, 27 ; xvi. 1-4.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples : When the Paraclete cometh 
whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who pro- 
ceedeth from the Father, he shall give testimony of me. And you 
shall give testimony, because you are with me from the beginning. 
These things have I spoken to you, that you may not be scandalized. 
They will put you out of the synagogues : yea, the hour cometh that 
whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth a service to God. And 
these things will they do to you, because they have not known the 
Father, nor me. But these things I have told you, that when the 
hour of them shall come, you may remember that I told you. 

Why is the Holy Ghost called the Paraclete or Com- 
forter ? 

Because by inward consolations be alleviates and even makes 
agreeable tbe afflictions of the just, as in the case of the 
Apostles (Acts v. 40), for he fills the faithful followers of his 
doctrine with heavenly joy, and makes the yoke of Christ 
delightful to them ; with the penitent, he relieves the sadness 
of penance with the consolation of pardon, and renders sick- 
ness and tbe agony of deatb endurable through his inward 
unction. 

How has the Holy Ghost given testimony of Christ ? 

1, By this: that on the day of Pentecost, he so enlightened, 
instructed, and strengthened the ignorant and timid Apostles, 
that they proclaimed Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and 
the Saviour of the world, with a courage and authority that 
no one could withstand, and men were converted by thousands. 
2. By the preaching of the Gospel accompanied by innumer- 
able miracles, and by the equally wonderful establishment, 
preservation, and increase of the Catholic Church. Twelve 
previously unlearned men, without money, without reputation, 
without power, go into all the world, to preach a faith which 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 397 

overthrows all existing religions, and they gain the victory. 
The faithful shed their blood : it was a struggle ot^ life and 
death. But tyrants disappeared, heresies dissolved ; the 
Catholic Church alone survived, always the same. 3. At the 
present day, also, the Holy Ghost gives testimony of Christ, 
in that he aids the Church in all the storms of infidelity, gives 
courage to her ministers, and crowns her at last with victory. 
Rejoice, therefore, in thy Church, and follow her! 

How have the Apostles borne testimony of Christ ? 

By their doctrine, their miracles, their lives, and by their 
fearless confession of him under every suffering. As for our- 
selves, if not by miracles, still by a virtuous life, by a faithful, 
unflinching adherence to the Church, which is the spouse of 
Jesus, we must confess him to be our Master, our Lord, and 
our God, unless we would have him deny us before his Father 
in heaven (Matt. x. 32). 

Why did Christ predict to his disciples, and the elect, their 
sufferings ? 

That they might not afterwards be thereby scandalized and 
shaken in their faith in his Godhead. For the sufferings thus 
predicted became a new evidence in favor of Christianity, and 
a motive to perseverance, since the Christians perceived that 
their afflictions came not unsent, but from the hand of God, 
and that the way of suffering and of the Cross, of persecutions 
and temptations, would lead them to glory. Hence the con- 
fidence of the martyrs in their torments. Be not surprised, 
therefore, when adversities befall you, persevere in patience, 
and through suffering you will enter into glory (2 Tim. ii. 12). 

But did the Jews sin by persecuting the Apostles ? 

Yes: for although thinking thereby to do God service, they 
showed more of error than of malice ; yet this very error was 
itself a guilty one — being sinful and punishable because it was 
easy for them to be instructed, and to know the truth. In like 
manner is the ignorance of those persons sinful and punishable, 
who, from neglect of Christian instructions, hardly know what 
they must believe and do to be saved, and accordingly make no 
Scruple of contracting mortal sins; so, too, of those who, with- 
out being satisfied that they hold their possessions justly, yet, 



398 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

for fear of being compelled to make restitution, take no pains 
to arrive at certainty. 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, send us the Holy Ghost the comforter, to comfort 
and strengthen us in our sufferings, that we may not thereby 
separate from thee, and that he may enlighten and encourage 
us to learn and perform, with diligence, the truths of the faith. 
Amen. 

Practical Lessons on the giving of Scandal. 

" These things have I spoken to you that you may not be scandalized." — 

John xvi. 1. 

How, in general, does one give scandal? 

By speaking, doing, or omitting to do, something observed 
by men, which gives to another occasion of sin. This is done, 
when, for instance, you dress immodestly, with shameful ex- 
posure, utter unchaste words, sing songs of like description, or 
commit corresponding acts before observers, or incite others 
to commit them ; when you cause others to get drunk, or fur- 
nish them the opportunity of becoming so ; when you encour- 
age others to anger, cursing, and revenge, or detain them from 
the divine service, from sermons, and instruction, etc. 

When do parents give scandal ? 

1. When, through anger, cursing, swearing, injustice, fraud, 
discord, and contentions, excess in eating and drinking, extrava- 
gance in dress, or impurity, in word or deed, they set a bad exam- 
ple to their children. 2. When they neglect to keep their chil- 
dren from bad company, and much more when they, themselves, 
carry them into it. 3. When they do not punish the evil 
which they see in their children, or neglect to remove them 
from what is bad, and to accustom them to what is good. 

How do heads of families give scandal to their dependents ? 

1. In the same ways that parents do their children. 2. When, 
by bad example, or by command, they keep those under them 
from divine service, or omit to make them attend it. 3. When 
they themselves use, or give to others, flesh-meat on days of 
abstinence. 4. When they order the commission of sin, as, for 
instance, to steal or pilfer. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 399 

How do servants give scandal ? 

Particularly by assisting their masters to commit sin ; by 
using improper language before children, or by inciting them 
to sinful acts and words. 

What kind of sin is scandal? 

It is a frightful sin. By it countless sins are occasioned, 
thousands and thousands of souls are deprived of their inno- 
cence, held fast in- sin, and carried to perdition, while the lov- 
ing design of God for the salvation of men is frustrated. He 
who gives scandal loads himself with as many sins as he causes 
to be committed, and, at the same time, with the obligation 
of making reparation for them, and of giving a strict and ter- 
rible account. And if this be so with others, how much rather 
with parents (who have been murderers of their children's 
souls), with masters, and with servants? Hence it was that 
Jesus pronounced against him who gives scandal the terrible 
words, Woe to him who gives scandal; it were better for him 
that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he 
should be droioned in the depth of the sea (Matt, xviii. 6, 7). 
Shun it, therefore, if you Avould escape this woe. 

On the Preparation for Pentecost. 
The Holy Ghost was necessary to the disciples for the fulfil- 
ment of their calling, and to us also ; so necessary, indeed, that 
without him we can think nothing good, or even speak the 
name of Jesus acceptably (2 Cor. iii. 5), much less become 
good ourselves, or steadfastly accomplish what is good. For 
this reason, endeavor to prepare in thy heart a worthy dwell- 
ing-place for the Holy Ghost, and with that intention do as 
follows : 

1. Avoid, if your calling will permit, the bustle of the world, 
and in solitude apply yourself to earnest and persevering prayer, 
after the example of Mary and the Apostles. Draw nigh to 
God, and he will draw nigh to you (James iv. 8). 

2. Be reconciled to your neighbor ; purify your conscience 
by a penitent confession ; for the Holy Ghost is a spirit of 
peace, love, and purity, and dwells, accordingly, only in pure 
and peaceful souls (Ps. lxxv. 3). 



400 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

3. Give alms according to your ability. The heathen cen- 
turion Cornelius, by prayer and almsgiving, made himself wor- 
thy of the communication of the Holy Ghost (Acts x.) 

4. Finally, have a great desire for him, and often sigh for 
him with the words, " Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of thy 
faithful, and kindle in them the fire of thy love." 



$ £ It t t C S t . 

What is Pentecost ? 

The solemn anniversary of the day on which, fifty days after 
the resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Ghost came down, as with 
a mighty wind, and. under the appearance of fiery tongues, 
upon Mary the mother of Jesus, and his Apostles and disciples, 
who were all, with one mind, assembled together in prayer at 
Jerusalem. 

Why does the Church celebrate this day so solemnly ? 

To praise and thank God that, by sending the Holy Ghost, 
he fulfilled his promises, announced publicly the law of the New 
Testament, dispensed wonderful gifts, and began to spread his 
holy Church ; thereby renewing the face of the earth, in that 
already, on this same day, three thousand persons, moved by 
the Apostles' preaching, entered into the Church through bap- 
tism. If then the Jews, by the command of God, solemnly 
celebrated their Pentecost in thanksgiving for the giving of the 
law on Mount Sinai, and for the gathering in of the fruits of 
the earth, how much more should we Christians honor this 
day, on which was given the Gospel, the law of grace, of love, 
and adoption among the children of God, and on which the 
Holy Ghost gave so many spiritual graces and fruits to men. 

To express her joy over the descent of the Holy Ghost, the 
Church sings, at the Introit of the Mass, The Spirit of the 
Lord hath filled the whole earth, allelujah, and that which con- 
taineth all things, hath knowledge of the voice, allelujah, alle- 
lujah (Wisd. i. 1). Let God arise, and his enemies be scat- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 401 

tered/ and let them that hate Mm, fly before his face (Ps. 
lxvii. 2). Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

God, who on this day didst instruct the hearts of the 
faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that we may be 
truly wise in the same Spirit, and ever rejoice in his consola- 
tion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who in the unity of the 
same. 

Epistle. (Acts ii. 1-11.) 

"When the days of the pentecost were accomplished, they were all 
together in one place : and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, 
as of a mighty wind coining, and it filled the whole house where they 
were sitting. x\nd there appeared to them parted tongues as it were 
of fire, and it sat upon every one of them. And they were all filled 
with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, 
according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. ISTow there were 
dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men out of every nation under 
heaven. And when this w T as noised abroad, the multitude came to- 
gether, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard 
them speak in his own tongue. And they were all amazed and won- 
dered, saying: Behold, are not all these, that speak, Galileans? And 
how have we heard, every man our own tongue wherein we were 
born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and inhabitants of Meso- 
potamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Para- 
philia, Egypt, and the parts of Lybia about Cyrene, and stmmgers of 
Rome; Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians: we have 
heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God. 

Why did the Paraclete descend on the Pentecost of the 
Jews ? 

Because the Pentecost of the Jews was the figure of that of 
the New Law. For, as formerly the law was given on Mount 
Sinai, amid thunder and lightning, so now, amid the rushing 
of the wind, the new law of grace was instituted by the Holy 
Ghost, to fulfil and take the place of the old. On this day 
the Jews of all lands and tongues were assembled together, 
and were able to be witnesses of this miracle, and of the pub- 
lication of the New Law. 



402 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Why did the Holy Ghost appear under visible signs? 

It was done to attract attention, and to indicate outwardly 
what took place inwardly. The roar of the mighty wind, ac- 
cording to the language of the prophets, pointed to the ap- 
proaching Godhead, and was intended to announce something 
extraordinary. The appearance of tongues signified the gift 
of languages, and the division of them the difference of gifts 
imparted by the Holy Ghost. The fire which lightens, warms, 
and quickly spreads, denoted the love of God, the power and joy 
with which the Apostles, and mankind through them, should 
be filled, and indicated the rapid extension of Christianity. 

Was this actually effected ? 

Yes ; the Apostles became at once other men ; being now 
enlightened and made acquainted with all truth, freed from all 
fear and faint-heartedness, and so undaunted that they preached 
everywhere Christ crucified, and for love to him endured with 
joy all sufferings. Their discourses were understood by all 
present, notwithstanding they spoke various languages, as if 
the Apostles had carefully learned each particular tongue. 
From that time Christianity spread with wonderful rapidity 
throughout the whole world. Pray the Holy Ghost to-day to 
enlighten you also, to inflame you with holy love, and to give 
you strength daily to increase in all goodness. 

Gospel. (John xiv. 23-81.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: If any man love me, he 
will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to 
him, and will make our abode with him. He that loveth me not, 
keepeth not my words. And the word which you have heard is not 
mine, but the Father's who sent me. These things have I spoken to 
you, abiding with you. But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom 
the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and 
bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you. 
Peace I leave with you ; my peace I give unto you : not as the world 
giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let 
it be afraid. You have heard that I said to you: I go away, and 
come unto you. If you loved me, you would indeed be glad, because 
I go to the Father: for the Father is greater than I. And now I 
have told you before it come to pass: that when it shall come to pass, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 403 

yon may believe. I will not now speak many things with yon. For 
the prince of this world cometh, and in me he hath not any thing. 
But that the world may know that I love the Father : and as the 
Father hath given me commandment, so do I. 



Why is the Holy Ghost called a spirit, and the Holy Spirit? 

Because he proceeds from the Father and the Son, and is, as 
it were, the Spirit of the Father and the Son, the fountain of 
inward holiness, and of all the gifts and graces by which we 
become holy. 

What does the Holy Ghost effect in men ? 

He enlightens them to know the truths of faith and salva- 
tion, and the beauty of virtue. He moves them to desire, 
seek, and love what they know. He renews their hearts, by- 
cleansing them from sin, by imparting to them the sanctifica- 
tion and likeness to God gained through Christ, together with 
all these supernatural gifts and graces by which they can be- 
come holy and happy, and brings forth in them wonderful 
fruits of sanctity. 

Which are these gifts of the Holy Ghost ? 

The seven following, as named by the Prophet Isaias (xi. 2). 

1. The gift of wisdom, which teaches us to value the 
heavenly more than the earthly, infuses into us a longing for 
the same, and points out to us the right means to salvation. 

2. The gift of understanding, which enlightens us to rightly 
understand the mysteries and doctrines of our holy religion. 
How necessary is this gift both to children and adults, particu- 
larly in our days ! 

3. The gift of counsel in doubtful cases, which enables 
us to know what to do or omit, and what to advise others. 
This gift is particularly necessary for superiors, for those who 
are changing their state of life, and for those who are en- 
tangled in perplexing and unfortunate marriage relations. 

4. The gift of fortitude, which banishes all timidity and 
human respect, strengthens a man to hate sin, and steadfastly 
to practice virtue ; preferring contempt, temporal loss, perse- 
cution, and even death, to denying Christ by word or deed. 

5. The gift of knowledge, by which the Holy Ghost enlight- 



■ 



404 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ens us with an inner light, that we may know ourselves, the 
snares of self-love, of our passions, of the devil, and of the 
world, and may choose the fittest means to overcome them. 

6. The gift of piety and devotion, which infuses into us 
veneration for God and divine things, and joy in conversing 
with him. 

7. The gift of the fear of God, that childlike fear, which 
dreads no other misfortune than that of displeasing God, and 
which accordingly flees sin as the greatest evil. 

Which are the fruits of the Holy Ghost ? 

They are the twelve following, which St. Paul mentions in 
his Epistle to the Galatians (v. 22, 23): 1. Charity. 2. Joy. 
3. Peace. 4. Patience. 5. Benignity. 6. Goodness. 1. Long- 
suffering. 8. Mildness. 9. Faith. 10. Modesty. 11. Conti- 
nency. 12. Chastity. 

These fruits should be visible in the Christian, for thereby 
men shall know that the Holy Ghost dwells in him, as the 
tree is known by its fruit. 



tot)it~JHonbaB. 

The feast of Pentecost continues seven days, in remembrance 
of the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. 

Filled with joy over the gracious descent of the Holy Ghost, 
the Church sings, at the Introit of the Mass, He fed them with 
the fat of wheat, allelujah, and filled them with honey out of 
the rock, allelujah, allelujah (Ps. 1.) Rejoice to God, our helper, 
sing aloud to the God of Jacob. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who didst give the Holy Spirit to thy Apostles, 
grant to thy people the effect of their pious prayers, that on 
those to whom thou hast given grace, thou mayest also bestow 
peace. Through Christ our Lord. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS 405 

Epistle. (Acts x. 42-48.) 

In those days Peter, opening his month, said: Men, brethren, the 
Lord commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is 
he who was appointed by God to be judge of the living and of the 
dead. To him all the prophets give testimony, that through his name 
all receive remission of sins, who believe in him. While Peter was 
yet speaking these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard 
the word. And the faithful of the circumcision, who came with 
Peter, were astonished, for that the grace of the Holy Ghost was 
poured out upon the Gentiles also. For they heard them speaking 
with tongues, and magnifying God. Then Peter answered : Can any 
man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have re- 
ceived the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to 
be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Explanation. 

That the Holy Ghost descended upon Cornelius before he 
was baptized was partly because God designed, thereby, to re- 
ward his desire for the truth, and his God-fearing life, but 
partly also, and particularly, that the converted Jews might 
know that the Gentiles, also, were to be called to the Church 
of Jesus, and not be scandalized at seeing them receive holy 
baptism. Learn, hence, 1. Like Cornelius, to love the truth, 
to live in the fear of God, and do good works, for so you will 
gain the approval and grace of God. 2. Like him, follow the 
guidance of grace, and to that end give willing attention to 
instructions, and invoke the Holy Ghost before the commence- 
ment of them. 

Gospel. (John iii. 16-21.) 

At that time Jesus said unto Nicodemus: God so loved the world, 
as to give his only-begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, 
may not perish, but may have life everlasting. For God sent not his 
Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be 
saved by him. He that believeth in him is not judged. But he that 
doth not believe, is already judged : because he believeth not in the 
name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment: 
because the light is come into the world, and men loved darkness 
rather than the light: for their works were evil. For every one that 
doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works 



4:06 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

may not be reproved. ' But lie that doth truth, cometh to the light, 
that his works may be made manifest, because they are done in God. 

By what has God most shown the greatness of his love ? 

By giving up his only-begotten Son to the most painful and 
ignominious death, that we, the guilty, might be delivered 
from eternal death, and have life everlasting. What love! 
Take courage, ye desponding ones, bowed down with the heavy 
burden of your sins, ye penitent, ye unfortunate of every' 
sort. 

If, then, so many are lost, is it the fault of God ? 

No : as the physician gives up only the incurable, so God 
condemns only the incorrigible, who believe not in Christ as 
their Saviour and God ; who love darkness, that is, the prin- 
ciples and works which correspond to their corrupt inclina- 
tions; who despise Jesus, the light of the world, and his 
doctrines ; who neglect the divine service, the public instruc- 
tions, and the reception of the holy sacraments; who take this 
licentious life for wisdom and enlightenment ; who refuse to be 
taught, and have pronounced, already, their own condemna- 
tion, before the final judgment. Woe to them that even such 
love cannot save, but must condemn them! 



Motives to Love God. 

For God so loved the world, as to give his only -begotten Son 
(John iii. 16). To move men to love God, St. John wrote, 
"!Let its love God for he has first loved us." Indeed, what 
love has he not shown us hitherto, and what does he not yet 
show every moment. He has loved us from eternity : he loved 
us when as yet we were not. Of his endless love, although 
he knew that we would be sinners, and enemies to him, he 
made us after his own image and likeness, breathing into the 
mortal body an immortal soul gifted with reason and free will, 
and made like to God in holiness and justice (Eph. iv. 24). 
Man fell, and sank deeper and deeper in sin and misery. God 
then took pity on us, sent his only-begotten Son, who first 
washed away our guilt with his blood, and then, — oh, in- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 407 

serutable depth of divine love ! — gave himself to be the per- 
petual nourishment of our souls. What more could God give 
us ? One thing more: — the Holy Ghost, and him he has sent, 
in holy baptism, pouring him with all his gifts and treasures of 
grace, continually into every heart. " If then," says St. Ber- 
nard, "we already love hirn who does us some good, who 
helps us in need, or exposes himself to danger for our sake, 
how much more should we love him who has given us all that 
we have ; the angels to be our guards, the sun, moon, and stars 
to be our light ; the earth to be our dwelling-place ; the ele- 
ments, plants, and animals to supply our necessary wants, and 
to serve for our advantage and enjoyment ; who continually 
preserves us and protects us from countless dangers ; who has 
subjected himself for our sake, not merely to the danger of 
his life, but to the most painful and humiliating death ; who 
forgives all our sins, heals all our infirmities, redeems our life 
from destruction, and crowns us with compassion and mercy." 
(Ps. cii.) 

Oh, let us then, in turn, with all our hearts, love the God of 
love, who first loved us : he seems, as it were, to live and work 
only for us, and shall we live, not for him, but for the world and 
its vanities ? Ah, infinite Love, we are sorry from the heart to 
have loved thee thus far so little, to have done so little from 
true love for thee ! Oh, take from us this heart of stone, and 
give us a new heart that shall glow forever with love to thee ! 
Come, Holy Ghost, and kindle in us the fire of thy love. 



iXU)it-&tt£sba2. 

The Introit of the Mass is again a song of joy. Receive the 
joy of your glory, allelujah / giving thanks to God, allelujah / 
who hath called you to a heavenly kingdom (Esdras). Attend, 
my people, to my law, incline your ears to the words of my 
mouth (Ps. lxxvii.) Glory be to the Father. 



408 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Prayer. 

May the power of the Holy Ghost be with us, O Lord, we 
beseech thee, which may mercifully purify our hearts and de- 
fend them from all adversities. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, 
who liveth and reigneth in the unity of the same. 

Epistle. (Acts viii. 14-17.) 

In those days : When the apostles who were in Jerusalem, had 
heard that Samaria had received the word of God ; they sent unto 
them Peter and John. Who, when they were come, prayed for them, 
tli at they might receive the Holy Ghost. For he was not as yet 
come upon any of them: but they were only baptized in the name 
of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands upon them, and they 
received the Holy Ghost. 



The Samaritans had been converted and baptized by Philip 
the Deacon. Peter and John administered to them, by the 
imposition of hands and prayer, the sacrament of Confirma- 
tion. 

Instruction on the Sacrament of Confirmation. 

Is Confirmation a sacrament, and why ? 

Yes, for Jesus Christ has promised the Holy Ghost not only 
to the Apostles, but also to all the faithful, to confirm them 
fully in faith and charity. The Apostles, enlightened by the 
Holy Ghost, and consequently in accordance Avith the will ot 
Christ, actually communicated the same spirit to the baptized, 
under the visible sign of the imposition of hands (Acts viii. 17). 
Finally, the Catholic Church from the beginning to this very 
hour has declared this act to be a sacrament, and has excluded 
from the communion of the Church those who obstinately 
deny this. 

What is the outward sign of this sacrament '? 

The imposition of the bishop's hands, the anointing with the 
chrism, and the words which the bishop speaks, namely — "I 
sign thee with the sign of the cross, and confirm thee with the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 409 

chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost." 

What grace is conveyed through this sacrament ? 

Through holy confirmation, God confirms and completes in 
the Christian the grace of baptism, and strengthens him for the 
combat with his spiritual enemies. For they who, through 
baptism, are become Christians, like new-born children have as 
yet a certain weakness and tenderness ; but when they have 
been confirmed, they acquire greater power to overcome the 
temptations of the flesh, the world, and the devil, and their 
souls are strengthened in faith to confess and glorify the name 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. These effects are indicated by the 
word " confirmation," which comes from the Latin word " con- 
firmare," to strengthen. 

How often can holy confirmation be received ? 

Only once ; confirmation, like baptism, cannot be received 
oftener, because the grace received in these sacraments is al- 
ways efficacious if we only co-operate with it; and because in 
these sacraments we receive also an indelible character, which 
forever distinguishes the souls of those who have been bap- 
tized and confirmed from those who have not. In baptism, 
we receive the character of children of God ; in confirmation, 
that of his soldiers. By the first, we belong to God ; by the 
second, we are required to combat for his sake, and for that 
purpose we receive particular graces. Signed with the sign of 
the Lord, he is a perfect Christian (Eph. i. 13). 

Who administers holy confirmation ? 

According to the example of the Apostles, the tradition and 
expressed decisions of the Church, the bishop is the only ordi- 
nary administrator of confirmation. In the Acts of the Apos- 
tles, we do not read that any but the Apostles confirmed, and 
the successors of the Apostles are the bishops. 

What is the holy chrism used at confirmation ? 

Chrism (a Greek word, which means unction) is oil of olives 
mixed with balsam, which is solemnly blessed every year, 
on Maundy-Thursday, by the bishop. The oil denotes the 
strengthening grace of the Holy Ghost ; the balsam, preserva- 
tion from the foulness of sin, and the good odor of an edifying 
18 



410 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

life, whereby the Christian becomes to God a sweet odor in 
Jesus Christ (2 Cor. ii. 15). 

What do the ceremonies of confirmation signify ? 

1. The unction on the forehead, with the holy chrism in the 
form of the cross, reminds the Christian that he is to combat 
bravely under the banner of the cross, and never be ashamed 
to confess the name of Jesus, in word and deed. 

2. The imposition of the bishops, after the example of the 
Apostles, to communicate the Holy Ghost, signifies that the 
confirmed Christian is under the special defence and protec- 
tion of God. 

3. The light blow upon the cheek is given to remind the 
confirmed of the grace conveyed by this sacrament, and that he 
cannot be confirmed a second time ; also, that he should be ready 
to suffer patiently, yes, joyfully, adversities and persecutions 
on account of his holy faith, as the first Christians did(Aets v.) 

Is confirmation necessary to salvation ? 

No ; yet no one should neglect to receive it, because it con- 
veys^so many graces, and every one, on account of his innu- 
merable enemies and his own weakness, is in need of the divine 
assistance, that he may not be overpowered. Again, as God 
has not instituted this sacrament in vain, the neglect of it 
would therefore be a guilty indifference to his grace, and to 
our own salvation. This should be particularly considered by 
those who live among non-Catholics, and by parents who allow 
their children to go to strange places, where their religion is 
exposed to so many dangers. 

How ought one to prepare for confirmation? 

1. One must be in the state of grace, and in order thereto 
must purge his conscience of all sins by a contrite and sincere 
confession ; otherwise, instead of receiving grace, one would 
only run into a new mortal sin, by setting up hindrances to the 
operation of the Holy Ghost. 

2. According to the capacity of his years, he must be in- 
structed in trie mysteries of the faith, particularly in regard to 
holy confirmation. 

3. He must have an ardent desire to receive the strengthen- 
ing grace of the Holy Ghost, and pray God fervently for it. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 411 

4. It is praiseworthy, according to the custom of the early 
Church, to fast, perform good works, and to receive this sacra- 
ment fisting. 

5. One must have one Godfather, or Godmother, who has 
been confirmed ; and finally, 

6. Must present himself to receive the sacrament with a heart 
full of faith, reverence, and devotion. 

What must one do after confirmation ? 

He should remain in the Church some time, and humbly 
thank the Holy Ghost for the precious graces bestowed on 
him, in some such prayer as the following : 

Prayer of the Confirmed. 

(To be repeated often during the year.) 

I thank thee, O Holy Ghost, that in the holy sacrament of 
confirmation thou hast bestowed upon me thy grace, to 
strengthen me against all temptations and persecutions ; and I 
humbly entreat thee to encourage me by thy holy inspirations, 
that under all circumstances I may remain faithful to the grace 
I have received ; may co-operate with it, and never, out of fear 
or human respect, go against the commands of God, or the 
Church. Oh, give me grace to die rather than oppose thy inspi- 
rations, or grieve thee, or by any mortal sin to drive thee from 
me. I ask it of thee, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

What are the obligations of the confirmed? 

1. Not to expel the Holy Ghost by sin, but to walk in his 
light, that is, according to the doctrine and example of Jesus. 
2. To confess our holy religion, in word and deed, at any cost 
whatever. 

Gospel. (John x. 1-10.) 

At that time Jesus said to the Pharisees: Amen, amen, I say to 
you : he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, hut climbetl. 
up another way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that enter 
eth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him' the porter 
openeth ; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep 
by name, and leadeth them out. And when he hath let out his own 
sheep, he goeth before them: and the sheep follow him, because they 
know his voice. But a stranger they follow not, but fly from him, 



412 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

because they know not the voice of strangers. This proverb Jesug 
spoke to them. But they understood not what he spoke to them. 
Jesus therefore said to them again : Amen, amen, I say to you, I am 
the door of the sheep. All others, as many as have come, are thieves 
and robbers : and the sheep heard them not. I am the door. By me, 
if any man enter in, he shall be saved : and he shall go in, and go out, 
and shall find pastures. The thief cometh not, but to steal and to kill 
and to destroy. I am come that they may have life, and may have it 
more abundantly. 

How is this parable to be understood? 

The sheepfold is the Church, or congregation of the faith- 
ful ; the door for the flock is baptism ; for the pastors, lawful 
vocation and mission from God, through their spiritual supe- 
riors ; the chief-pastor is Christ ; the sheep are the faithful ; 
the invisible door-keeper is the Holy Ghost, inasmuch as he 
prepares hearts for Jesus ; the visible door-keeper is the bishop 
or his representatives. The thieves and robbers are the Phari- 
sees and heretics of all ages, who lead astray the sheep of 
Christ, and destroy their spiritual life, by false doctrines. If 
we would not become the pray of thieves and murderers, we 
must follow the doctrines of the teachers and pastors whom 
Christ has appointed for his Church. 

Aspiration. 

O God, who hast given to the world, in thy Son, the most 
faithful pastor, through him hast established this great fold thy 
Church, and graciously upheld it, under the guidance of the 
Holy Ghost, grant us always, we beseech thee, such pastors as 
shall enter through the right door, unite wisdom with true 
piety, feed thy flock with pure doctrine, true love, and good 
example, and strive to bring back again the erring to the fold. 
Grant, also, to the faithful, that they may hear and obey the 
voice of the true shepherd, that both pastors and flock may to- 
gether enter into that eternal fold, which no robber shall dis- 
turb, in the kingdom of everlasting glory. Amen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 413 



iDebncsucnj. (Umbcr-lDag 

Introit of the Mass. God, when thou didst go forth in 
the sight of thy people, making a passage for them, dwelling 
in the midst of them, allelujah, the earth loas moved, the 
heavens dropped, allelujah, allelujah (Ps. lxvii). Let God 
arise, and let his enemies be scattered, and let them that hate 
him flee from before his face. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

May the Paraclete, who proceeds from thee, enlighten our 
minds, we beseech thee, Lord, and lead us into all truth, as 
thy Son has promised. Through Christ. 

[See the prayer for good priests, p. 42.] 

Epistle. (Acts v. 12-16.) 

In those days : By the hands of the Apostles were many signs and 
wonders wrought among the people. And they were all with one ac- 
cord in Solomon's porch. But of the rest no man durst join himself 
unto them ; but the people magnified them. And the multitude of 
men and women who believed in the Lord was more increased : inso- 
much that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them 
on beds and couches, that when Peter came, his shadow at the least 
might overshadow any of them, and they might be delivered from 
their infirmities. And there came also together to Jerusalem a multi- 
tude out of the neighboring cities, bringing sick persons, and such as 
were troubled with unclean spirits, who were all healed. 

Gospel. (John vi. 44-52.) 

At that time Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews: No one can 
come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him, and I 
will raise him up in the last day. It is written in the prophets: And 
they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard of the 
Father, and hath learned, cometh to me. Not that any man hath 
seen the Father, but he who is of God, lie hath seen the Father. 
Amen, amen, I say unto you : He that believeth in me hath everlast- 
ing life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the 
desert, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from 
heaven; that if any man eat of it, he may not die. I am the living 



414 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

bread, which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, 
he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give, is my flesh for 
the life of the world. 

Practice. 

No one can come to Jesus, that is, no one can know him as 
the Son of God and Saviour of the world, unless the Father 
draw him; that is, unless the Father enlighten and move him. 
Learn hence, that faith is a grace, and pray God to preserve it 
in you, and give it to others. Jesus is the Bread of Life ; as such 
he offers himself to us, particularly in the most holy Sacra- 
ment of the altar. Wouldst thou live? Feed on this bread; 
go to this table, and go often. 



Introit of the Mass. Let my mouth be filled with thy p/raise, 
allelujah, that I may sing, allelujah. 3fy lips shall rejoice 
when I shall sing to thee, allelujah, allelujah. In thee, 
Lord, have I hoped, let me never be put to confusion ; deliver 
me in thy justice, and rescue me. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Grant to thy Church, we beseech thee, O merciful God, that, 
gathered together in thy Holy Spirit, it may not be troubled 
by any hostile invasion. Through our Lord, &c, in the unity 
of the same. 

Epistle. (Joel ii. 23-27.) 

Thus saith the Lord God: O children of Sion, rejoice, and be joy- 
ful, in the Lord your God : because he hath given you a teacher of 
justice, and he will make the early and the latter rain to come down 
to you as in the beginning. And the floors shall be filled with wheat, 
and the presses shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore 
to you the years which the locust, and the bruchus, and the mildew, 
and the palmer-worm have eaten: my great host which I sent upon 
you. And you shall eat in plenty, and shall he filled : and you shall 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 415 

praise the name of the Lord your God, who hath done wonders with 
you, and my people shall not be confounded forever. And you shall 
know that I am in the midst of Israel: and I am the Lord your God, 
and there is none besides : and my people shall not be confounded 
forever, saith the Lord Almighty. 



. (Luke v. 17-26.) 

At that time : It came to pass on a certain day : and Jesus sat teach- 
ing. And there were Pharisees and Doctors of the Law sitting by, that 
were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea and Jerusalem : and 
the power of the Lord was to heal them. And behold men brought 
in a bed a man who had the palsy : and they sought means to bring 
him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by 
what way they might bring him in, because of the multitude, they 
went up upon the roof, and let him down through the tiles with his 
bed, into the midst before Jesus. Whose faith when he saw, he said : 
Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the Scribes and Pharisees be- 
gan to think, saying: Who is this who speaketh blasphemies? Who 
can forgive sins but God alone? And when Jesus knew their 
thoughts, answering he said to them: What is it you think in your 
hearts? Which is easier to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, 
Arise and walk ? But that you may know that the Son of man hath 
power on earth to forgive sins (he saith to the sick of the palsy) : I say 
to thee, Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. And imme- 
diately rising up before them, he took up the bed on which he lay; 
and he went away to his own house, glorifying God. And all were 
astonished ; and they glorified God. And they were filled with fear, 
saying: We have seen wonderful things to-day. 

Practice. 

Jesus forgives the sins of the man who had the palsy, before 
healing him. Learn hence, that temporal evils are often the 
consequences of sin, and do penance if you would be freed 
from them. Jesus forgives sins, and to show that he had the 
right and power to do so, he heals the sick of the palsy at 
once. Here, sinner, you have your Deliverer from sin and 
punishment. Do not despair, but with faith take refuge in 
him according to his appointment in the holy sacrament of 
penance. Jesus heals him at the intercession of others. Let 



416 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

» ^ 

us, therefore, also choose in our need, intercessors before God, 
that he may grant to us through their prayers what he would 
perhaps deny to ourselves. 



Satttrbaj). (^mber-flDas. 

Introit of the Mass. The charity of God is poured forth 
in our hearts, allelujah, by his spirit dwelling with us, allelu- 
jah, allelujah (Rom. v.)- Bless the Lord, my soul, and let 
all that is within me bless his holy name. Glory be to the 
Father. 

Prayer. 

Mercifully pour forth the Holy Spirit into our souls, we be- 
seech thee, O Lord, by whose wisdom we were created, and 
by whose providence we are governed. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Romans v. 1-5.) 

Brethren: Being justified by faith, let us have peace with God, 
through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access through 
faith into this grace, wherein we stand, and glory in the hope of the 
glory of the sons of God. And not only so ; but we glory also in 
tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience 
trial; and trial hope, and hope confoundeth not: because the charity 
of God is poured forth in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost who is given 
to us. 

Gospel. (Luke iv. 38-44.) 

At that time: Jesus rising up out of the synagogue, went into 
Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great 
fever, and they besought him for her. And standing over her, he 
commanded the fever, and it left her. And immediately rising, she 
ministered to them. And when the sun was down, all they that had 
any sick with divers diseases, brought them to him. But he laying 
his hands on every one of them, healed them. And devils went out 
from many, crying out and saying : Thou art the Son of God. And 
rebuking them, he suffered them not to speak, for they knew that he 
was Christ. And when it was day, going out he went into a desert 
place, and the multitudes sought him, and came unto him : and they 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 417 

detained him that he should not depart from them. To whom he 
said : To other cities also I must preach the kingdom of God : for 
therefor am I sent. And he was preaching in the synagogues of 
Galilee. 

Practice. 

The curing of so many diseases betokens the manifold 
graces through which the Holy Ghost heals the various infir- 
mities of our souls. Let us pray him to quench the fever-heat 
of our passions ; to repel from us the devil, who tempts us to 
evil ; to heal the wounds of our souls ; to take away our weak- 
ness, and supply us with strength to live according to the gospel 
which Jesus announces. 



&rinitt} Snnfrath 

Every Sunday is dedicated to the worship of the Triune 
God, and is called accordingly the Lord's day; but the first 
Sunday after Pentecost is appointed by the Church a special 
feast of the most holy Trinity, because this mystery, as the 
fundamental doctrine of the Christian religion, began at once 
to be preached by the Apostles, as soon as they had been en- 
lightened and strengthened by the descent of the Holy Ghost, 
according to the command of Christ : Going, therefore, teach 
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of 
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matt, xxviii. 19). 

What thoughts and affections should occupy our minds on 
this feast ? 

Although this great mystery — how God can be threefold in 
person — is incomprehensible to our minds, we must consider, 
1. That God would cease to be God, if our limited understand- 
ing were capable of penetrating the substance of his nature. 
God can be known as he is only by himself, and when he per- 
mits us, as he has done, to look at his mysterious nature 
through the revelation which he has given us, we must sub- 
ject the feeble judgment of our understanding to his infinite 
wisdom. 

18- 



418 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

2. The mystery of the blessed Trinity, though incomprehen- 
sible to our intellect, is yet not without fruit in our hearts. 
The records of revelation make known to us that each one of 
the divine persons has wrought for our happiness and salvation. 
They show us God the Father as our Creator, God the Son as 
our Redeemer, God the Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier; and 
should not this move us to a child-like gratitude towards the 
blessed Trinity ? Say to-day the Apostles' Creed, and make a 
resolution to do every thing in the name and to the honor of 
the most blessed Trinity. In making the sign of the cross, as 
you say, " In the name of the Father," remember the fatherly 
love of God towards you, and your filial duty to him. In say- 
ing, " and of the Son," remember the patience, the meekness, 
the obedience, even to the death on the cross, of Jesus. At 
the words, "and of the Holy Ghost," consider, and say, "I am 
the temple of God ; let me not desecrate this temple." Then 
bow your head in veneration, and add, " Amen." 

To the praise of the most holy Trinity, the Church sings at 
the Introit of the Mass, JBlessed be the holy Trinity and un- 
divided Unity / we loill give glory to him, because he hath 
shoion his mercy to us (Tobias xii.) Lord, our Lord v how 
wonderful is thy name in all the earth. Glory be to the 
Father. 

Prayer. 

O Almighty and Eternal God, who hast created thy servant 
to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, in the confes- 
sion of the true faith, and to adore the Unity in the power of 
thy majesty, we beseech thee, that by firmness in the same 
faith, we may be ever protected from all adversities. Through 
Christ. 

Epistle. (Rom. xi. 33-36.) 

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of 
God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearch- 
able his ways! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or 
who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and 
recompense shall be made him? For of him, and by him, and in him, 
arc all things : to him be the glory forever. Amen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 419 

Explanation. 

The ground of St. Paul's admiration in this epistle is the 
unfathomable wisdom and love of God, by which he permitted 
the Jews and heathen to fall into unbelief, that he might have 
mercy on all, and make all perceive that they were justified, 
not through their merits, but only through his grace. But the 
Church makes use of these words to express her reverent ad- 
miration for the greatness of the mystery of the all-holy Trin- 
ity, which is the worthiest object of our faith, our hope, and 
our charity. Though we can neither measure nor comprehend 
this mystery, yet no man of sound reason will hesitate to be- 
lieve it, if he considers that it is most plainly revealed by God ; 
that as God, the Infinite, cannot be comprehended by the spirit 
of man, so also he can reveal more than we can understand ; 
and that, finally, there are many things in man himself, and in 
nature, which w T e acknowledge for true, but cannot compre- 
hend. How, for instance, does the soul, which is a spirit, act 
upon the body? How does the soul recall what is past, or 
bring up absent objects ? How does the seed germinate, 
shoot forth from the ground, and bear fruit ? 

Besides, does not our holy religion assure us, that one day 
the sacred darkness through which we now see God shall be 
cleared up in eternity ? Does it not give us the consoling hope, 
that one day we shall behold face to face the Infinite whose 
image is now reflected dimly in the mirror of nature? Let us 
add hope, therefore, to our faith, and if true and sincere love 
be based upon these tw r o, our undei'standing and heart will 
have abundant consolation in regard to this great mystery. 

Aspiration. 

incomprehensible Trinity, most worthy of all honor and 
adoration, abyss of wisdom, power, and goodness, I lose my- 
self in thee, I believe in thee — believe, though I comprehend 
thee not — increase my faith. I hope in thee, for thou art the 
source of all good — sustain my hope. I love thee because thou 
art worthy of all love — inflame me with this love ever more 
and more. 



420 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



Gospel. (Matt xxviii. 18-20.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: All power is given to me 
in heaven and in earth. Going, therefore, teach ye all nations: bap- 
tizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have 
commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the 
consummation of the world. 

What are we taught by the words, all power is given to 
me, &c. ? 

That the authority of the Church is not human, derived from 
men, but divine, proceeding from God, and that we must, 
therefore, submit to it as to Jesus himself. 

What is contained in the words, teaching them to observe 
all things, &c. ? 

1. The truth that Christ commanded them not to write, but 
to preach, by reason of which the Catholic Church teaches, 
that besides the Holy Scriptures there is a tradition, the doc- 
trine of which is as much divine truth as the Holy Scrip- 
tures. 

2. That to be saved, it is necessary not only to believe all 
that Christ has commanded, but to observe all, by a corre- 
sponding life. 

What has Christ promised in the words, I am with 
you, &c. ? 

His invisible presence and guidance in the Church, and his 
divine support. Hence it is plain, that as Christ is always with 
his Church, the Church instituted by him never can cease, 
never has ceased, never will cease to be a visible Church, till 
the end of time : further, that in her decisions of faith and 
practice she is infallible. Oh, how securely the Catholic rests 
under the protection of a Church that is infallible, because 
she is invisibly governed and defended by Christ ! 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, my Lord and my God, I thank thee for the precious 
grace of having called me to the Catholic Church, which thou 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 421 

conduct est through thy guidance in safety to the end; in 
whose bosom I can rest safe from every error. I promise to- 
day anew, as I have promised in holy baptism, cheerfully to 
receive, and faithfully to follow to the end of my life, the 
doctrines and laws which thou thyself hast prescribed for me 
through thy Church. Oh, be with us all ; — with thy ministers, 
who have the care of souls, that they may preach the pure 
doctrine of thy Church with fruit; with us, that we may 
understand and observe what is taught us: fail not, O Jesus, 
to uphold us, who never fail to need thy help. Amen. 

Instruction on the Holy Sacrament of Baptism. 

" Going, therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." — Matt, xxviii. 19. 

Is Baptism a sacrament? 

Yes, for therein the baptized person receives the grace of 
God, through an outward sign instituted by Christ. 

What is the outward sign '? 

Immersion or sprinkling with water, and the pronouncing at 
the same time of the words: "I baptize thee in the name of 
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." 

"What kind of water must be used ? 

Natural water, whether from streams or wells, or rain-water. 
But rose-water, or such like artificial preparations, must not be 
used. 

What is the effect of the grace of baptism? 

That through water and the Holy Ghost, the baptized per- 
son is cleansed from original sin, and from all actual sins, if he 
has committed such ; is spiritually new-born, and made a child 
of God and a joint-heir with Christ (John iii. 6 ; Rom. viii. 17). 

How many kinds of Christian baptism are there ? 

Three. 1. Baptism of desire, which consists in the perfect 
love of God, and perfect contrition for sin, with a firm purpose 
to keep all the commandments of God; which includes the de- 
sire to be baptized. 

2. Baptism of blood, which is received by those who wil- 
lingly and cheerfully suffer death for Christ's sake. 



4:22 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

3. Baptism with water, which is the sacrament of baptism. 

What do the ceremonies used at baptism signify ? 

They indicate outwardly what takes place inwardly in the 
soul of the baptized. These ceremonies were all introduced 
in the earliest period of Christianity, to the end that this 
sacrament might be administered with due veneration, be 
received with devotion, and make a deep impression on the 
faithful. 

What is the use of sponsors ? 

1. That they may, in the name of the child, declare the de- 
sire to be baptized, and make the profession of faith, together 
with the promise to live according to the doctrine of Christ. 
2. That in case the parents should die, or neglect their duty, 
the god-parents may provide for the instruction of the chil- 
dren. 3. To be witnesses that such a child or adult person has 
been baptized. Considering these weighty obligations, it is 
easy to see how grievously persons sin, who choose for spon- 
sors bad Catholics, or those who are not Catholics at all. For 
how can such persons be expected to discharge these ob- 
ligations ? 

What relationship arises out of sponsorship ? 

At baptism, as well as at confirmation, according to the law of 
the Church, god-parents, or sponsors, contract a spiritual affinity, 
1. With the ministers of baptism and confirmation ; 2. With the 
persons baptized or confirmed ; 3. With the parents of those 
persons — with whom, consequently, without a dispensation pre- 
viously obtained, they cannot enter into marriage. Between 
the sponsors themselves, however, no such spiritual affinity is 
contracted. 

The Church has established this law out of veneration for 
these holy sacraments, and in order that sponsors might, by 
this bond, be more closely united to their god-children, and 
apply themselves the more earnestly to discharge their obli- 
gations. 

Why must the person to be baptized wait at the Church 
door ? 

To signify that he is unworthy to enter into the Church of 
Christ and the kingdom of heaven until he is freed from the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 423 

dominion of Satan, has cast off the yoke of sin, and submitted 
to the rule of Christ. 

Why is the name of a saint given to the person baptized ? 

1. To show that he is, by holy baptism, received among the 
number of Christians, whom St. Paul calls saints. 2. That he 
may have a particular intercessor and protector. 3. That he 
may strive to order his life after the example of the saint whose 
name he bears. It is, therefore, in the highest degree blam- 
able to give to children, in baptism, heathenish or otherwise 
unbecoming names. 

Why does the priest breathe on the person to be baptized ? 

Herein the priest follows the example of Christ, who breathed 
on his disciples when he gave them the Holy Ghost (John xx. 
22). The ceremony signifies, as St. Chrysostom says, "that 
in baptism supernatural life is given to the soul, as God im- 
parted natural life to the first man by breathing on him." 

Why does the priest lay his hand on the head of the person 
to be baptized ? 

As a sign that henceforth he is God's own and belongs to 
his Church. Accordingly, he prays that God will take away 
from the catechumen all blindness, destroy all the snares of 
the devil, and grant him grace joyfully to serve God in the 
Church. 

Why is salt placed on the tongue of the catechumen ? 

It signifies that as salt keeps food from corruption, and im- 
parts to it a good savor, so also through the grace of baptism, 
man shall be purified from sin, filled with wisdom, and acquire 
a relish for heavenly things. 

What do the many exorcisms signify? 

That in consequence of Adam's sin, mankind were, before 
baptism, kept in bondage to Satan, who is accordingly, by 
exorcism, in the name of God, commanded to depart and 
give up the catechumen as a dwelling-place for the Holy 
Ghost. 

Why is the catechumen signed so often with the cross? 

Thereby is signified, 1. That baptism, by virtue of the 
merits of Christ's passion and death, washes away sin. 2. That 
the catechumen is to fight manfully under the banner of the 



424 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Cross, under which he is now enrolled, against the devil, the 
flesh, and the world, and henceforth to glory in nothing but 
the cross of Jesus. It also signifies that in this life he will 
have to meet many trials, which he must bear patiently. 

Why are the ears and nose touched with spittle ? 

This signifies, 1. That as Christ made the man born blind to 
see, by touching him with spittle, so by baptism the blindness of 
the soul is removed, and the spirit of the catechumen is quali- 
fied for the knowledge of heavenly truth. 2. That he is 
always to hear the divine word readily, and by observing the 
same to be a sweet odor of God. 

Why are the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles' Creed said at 
baptism ? 

Thereby adult catechumens make a profession of faith, 
which, at the baptism of infants, is done by the sponsors, who 
are thus also reminded of their duty to attend to the Christian 
instruction of the children. 

Why does the priest, before baptism, exchange the purple 
stole for a white one ? 

The purple, as the color of penance, points to the state ol 
sin which has lasted till now ; the white, to the state of inno- 
cence into which, through baptism, the catechumen is trans- 
lated. 

Why does the priest ask, "Dost thou renounce Satan, and 
all his works, and all his pomps ?" 

That the Christian may know that it is his vocation to re- 
nounce the pomp, the suggestions, the works of the devil, and 
strive against them. For this reason, St. Ambrose addresses the 
baptized in the following beautiful words : " When the priest 
asked thee, 'Dost thou renounce the devil and all his works,' 
what didst thou answ T er ? ' I renounce them.' ' Dost thou also re- 
nounce the world, its lusts and its pomps ?' c I renounce them.' 
Be mindful, therefore, of what thou hast promised, and let it 
never leave thy mind. Thou hast given to the priest, in God's 
stead, thy bond, as it were. When thou givest thy bond to a 
man, thou remainest bound by it ; but now thy bond is kept, 
not on earth, but in heaven : say not, thou knowest nothing 
of this promise; this exculpates thee no better than the excuse 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 425 

of a soldier, who in time of battle should say, he knew not 
that by becoming a soldier he would have to tight." 

To remind children betimes of this promise, to instruct them 
in the obligations thereby contracted, and form in them a habit 
of fulfilling these obligations, is not only the duty of parents, 
but also one which the god-parents assumed at baptism. For 
if children who are to be brought up soldiers are early accus- 
tomed to watches, to heat and cold, to fearlessness in the 
presence of enemies, to bearing arms, how much more should 
the children of Christians, who have to undergo a spiritual 
warfare, be accustomed from youth to despise the lusts of the 
world, and to contend against the devil and the flesh ? 

Why is the catechumen anointed on the breast and shoulders 
with the holy oil ? 

To make him, as St. Ambrose and St. Chrysostom explain, a 
brave soldier of Christ ; for as formerly combatants were 
anointed with oil to strengthen them for the combat, so the 
catechumen is anointed with oil, 1, on his breast, to strengthen 
him against the enemy of his salvation ; and, 2, between his 
shoulders, that he may receive strength and courage to bear 
the yoke of the divine law without weariness or faintness, and 
to complete the laborious course of life with unshaken fidelity 
to God and his holy commandments. 

Why does the priest ask the catechumen, " Wilt thou be 
baptized ?" 

That man may choose obedience to God of his free will, as 
the first man chose disobedience. 

Why is the water poured three times on the head of the 
person baptized ? 

In token that man, after this thrice-repeated ablution, rises 
from the death of the sin, as Christ, after his three days' burial, 
rose from the dead (Rom. vi. 4, 5). In early times, the cate- 
chumens were dipped into water, kept in baptismal fonts for 
that purpose. For many reasons this custom was abolished. 

Why is the baptized person anointed with holy chrism ? 

To indicate that, being now incorporated into Christ the 
anointed, he is made partaker of his priesthood and of his 
kingly dignity, for which reason St. Peter calls Christians a 



426 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation (1 Pet. 
ii. 9). 

How sublime, therefore, is the dignity of Christians ! They 
are anointed priests and kings : priests, in that they offer up 
themselves as a living, holy, and pleasing sacrifice to God ; 
kings, in that they rule over their evil inclinations, serve God 
(to serve God is to reign), and possess a title to the kingdom 
of heaven. Furthermore, by the chrism the baptized are 
consecrated, as temples of God and holy vessels, which are 
afterwards to receive the body of the Lord, and to be the 
dwelling-places for the Holy Ghost. What honor ! How 
holy, therefore, should both soul and body be kept ! 

What does the white robe signify ? 

The splendor and beauty with which the soul is adorned 
after it has been washed from the stains of sin in baptism ; the 
purity and innocence which it has to preserve ; and finally the 
glory of the resurrection, to which, through baptism, the soul 
is new-born. 

Why is a lighted candle placed in the hand of the baptized ? 

To signify that he is, through baptism, passed from darkness 
to light, and that, like the prudent virgins (Matt, xxv.), he 
must prepare to meet Christ the bridegroom, feeding the light 
of faith with love and good works, and causing it to shine be- 
fore men in an exemplary life (Matt. v. 16). 

Who has the power of baptizing ? 

Generally, onty the ministers of the Church. But, in case 
of necessity, any one can baptize, even a father or mother. 
The reason of this is, that no one may be deprived of this 
sacrament, which, as the means of entrance into the kingdom 
of God, is in the highest degree a necessary means of salvation. 

With what intention must one baptize ? 

With the intention of doing what Christ the Lord has com- 
manded, and what the Catholic Church has prescribed to be 
done in this case. 

Profitable Observations. — The day of his baptism is to every 
one of the greatest moment. For if the day of our birth into 
this earthly life is reckoned important, how much rather the 
day of our birth into spiritual life — the day of our entrance 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 427 

into the kingdom of God, on which all the treasures of grace 
which Jesus has gained are opened to us! To the Christian, 
therefore, it should always be a holy day. He should conse- 
quently be taught and accustomed, so soon as he has come to 
the use of reason, to keep solemnly every year the day of his 
baptism, by receiving the holy sacraments, by doing good 
works, and by renewing his baptismal vows. It would, in- 
deed, be very useful also to commemorate, in like manner, 
oilier important days in one's life; as, for example, the day of 
one's confirmation, first communion, marriage, or the day on 
which one has made solemn vows. 

Instruction on the Ileneioal of Baptismal Voios. 

All the graces and dignities which we receive in baptism, 
God secures to us for the future, only on condition that we 
keep our baptismal vows. Every Christian has in baptism 
made a covenant with God, through the mediation of Christ, 
with whose blood this covenant is sealed. This covenant con- 
sists, on man's part, in the promise, 1. To renounce forever 
the devil, all his works, all his pomps; that is, constantly to 
suppress the lust of the eyes and of the flesh, and pride, by 
which the devil seduces us into sin ; and, 2. To believe all that 
God has revealed, and the Church proposed for our belief, and 
to use frequently and fervently the means of grace. 

On the part of God it includes the cleansing us from all sin, 
the bestowal of all the gifts of the Holy Ghost, our adoption 
as his children, and the assurance of the future inheritance of 
Heaven. 

This covenant will stand till death. God, who is infinitely 
faithful and true, will never break it ; but fickle and frail men 
too often forget and violate it. We should, therefore, often, 
according to the desire of the Church, bring it to mind, and 
renew it from time to time. This should be done, 1. Before 
receiving the holy sacrament of confirmation ; 2. Before first 
communion ; 3. On the vigils of Easter and Pentecost, at the 
blessing of the baptismal water; 4. On the anniversaries of our 
baptism and confirmation; 5. Before making solemn vows; 



428 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

6. Before entering into matrimony ; 7. In danger of death. 
The renewal of baptismal vows may be made in the following 
manner: We place ourselves in the presence of God, kneel 
down, fold our hands, and say, with fervent devotion, as fol- 
lows : 

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven 
and earth I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, 
who was born and suffered for us. I believe in the Holy Ghost, 
the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgive- 
ness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life ever- 
lasting. 

I renounce Satan; all his works ; all his pomps. 

Christ Jesus, I am united to thee ; to thee alone do I cling. 
Thee alone will I follow ; for thee I desire to live and die. In 
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 
Amen. 



iFirst SmtbaD after Jkntecast, or ftrinitj) Smtbajj. 

On the Most Blessed Trinity. 

What is God ? 

God is an infinite being, of all possible perfections, the most 
sublime and excellent of all goods, existing from all eternity, 
and containing within himself the principle of his own being 
and substance ; from whom all other things have received their 
existence and life, for of him, and by him, and in him are all 
things (Rom. xi. 36). 

What is the blessed Trinity ? 

It is this one God, who is one in nature and threefold in per- 
son, — the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, whom together we 
call the blessed Trinity. 

Is each of these persons God ? 

Yes, for each possesses the divine nature and substance. 

Is any one of these three, older, more powerful, or greater 
than another? 

]S T o ; they are all three, from eternity, equal in omnipotence, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 429 

sublimity, and majesty, and must therefore be equally vener- 
ated and adored. 

From whom is the Father ? 

From himself, before all eternity. 

From whom is God the Son ? 

The Son is begotten of the Father before all ages. 

From whom is God the Holy Ghost ? 

He proceeds from the Father and the Son. 

Here we shall do well to remember the words of Ho*ly 
Scripture : He that is a searcher of majesty, shall be over- 
whelmed by glory (Prov. xxv. 27). 

God is Almighty ; that is, he can do all things — nothing is 
impossible to him (Gen. xvhi. 14 ; Job xlii. 2 ; Matt. xii. 26 ; 
Luke i. 37). 

God is all-wise ; that is, his designs are the best, and he 
uses the best means of accomplishing them. 

God is all-merciful; he willingly forgives our sins, if we 
return to him in sincerity ; he is long-suffering, in waiting for 
our conversion. 

God is omniscient ; that is, nothing can be hid from him ; 
he sees at once, the past, the present, the future, and pene- 
trates the most secret thoughts of our hearts (Ps. cxxxviii. 1 ; 
Eclus. xxvii. 27 ; Rom. xi. 33). 

God is omnipresent ; that is, he is everywhere, fills all 
things, and is not confined by space (Ps. cxxxviii. 7, 8 ; Job 
xi. 8, 9; Isaias xlvi. 1; Jerem. xxiii. 24; Acts xvii. 27, 28). 

God is most bountiful ; that is, all we have comes from him. 

God is immutable ; that is, he is subject to no change or 
vicissitude, but always the same. 

God is most perfect ; that is, he could not be more power- 
ful, more wise, more benign, or more just. 

God is true; he knows all truths, for he is omniscient, and 
will reveal truth to us, for he is most benign and holy. 

God is most just ; he rewards the good and punishes the bad. 
God is most holy ; he loves good, and hates evil. 

The Tntroit of the Mass is an encouragement to confidence 
in the divine mercy. Lord, Thave trusted in thy mercy, my 



4-30 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

heart shall rejoice in thy saloation, I will sing to the Lord, 
who giveth me good things. How long, Lord, wilt thou 
forget me f Unto the end f LLoio long dost thou turn away 
thy face from me? (Ps. xii. 1-6.) Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, the strength of them that hope in thee, favorably 
give ear to our supplications, and since, without thee, mortal 
infirmity can do nothing, grant the help of thy grace, that in 
fulfilling thy commandments, we may please thee both in will 
and action. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (1 John iv. 8-21.) 

Dearly beloved : God is charity. By this hath the charity of God 
appeared towards us, because God hath sent his only-begotten Son 
into the world, that we may live by him. In this is charity : not as 
though we had loved God, but because he hath first loved us, and 
sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins. My dearest, if God 
hath so loved us; we also ought to love one another. No man hath 
seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abideth in us, 
and his charity is perfected in us. In this we know that we abide in 
him, and he in us; because he hath given us of his spirit. And 
we have seen and do testify that the Father hath sent his Son to be 
the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the 
Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God, and we have known, 
and have believed the charity, which God hath to us. God is charity : 
and he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him. In 
this is the charity of God perfected with us, that we may have con- 
fidence in the day of judgment: because as he is, we also are in this 
world. Fear is not in charity : but perfect charity casteth out fear, 
because fear hath pain. And he that feareth, is not perfected in 
charity. Let us therefore love God, because God first hath loved us. 
If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother: he is a liar. For 
he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, 
whom he seeth not ? And this commandment we have from God, 
that he, who loveth God, love also his brother. 

Explanation. 
Can there be any stronger reason for loving God, than the 
inexhaustible love of God towards us ? Let us love him, be- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 431 

cause lie first loved us. But whether we love him or not, he has 
given us an unerring test in our love towards our fellow-men. 
When we love not them whom we have seen, and for their 
Bakes do and suffer nothing, how can we say that we love God 
whom we have not seen, and whose commandment, to love 
our neighbor as ourselves, we do not obey ? But when we do 
indeed love them, we thereby show also that we love God, 
inasmuch as we love and honor him in his creatures, whom he 
has made in his likeness, and whom he has redeemed. Let us 
thus try ourselves. 

Gospel. (Luke vi. 36 -42.) 

At that time Jesus said to his disciples: Be ye merciful, as your 
Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. 
Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you 
shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given to you: good measure 
and pressed down and shaken together and running over shall they 
give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you shall 
mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. And he spoke also 
to them a similitude : Can the blind lead the blind? do they not both 
fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but every 
one shall be perfect, if he be as his master. And why seest thou the 
inote in thy brother's eye: but the beam that is in thy own eye thou 
considerest not. Or how canst thou say to thy brother: Brother, let 
me pull the mote out of thy eye, when thou thyself seest not the 
beam in thy own eye? Hypocrite, cast first the beam out of thy 
own eye ; and then shalt thou see clearly to take out the mote from 
thy brother's eye. 

Be merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 

To be children of our Heavenly Father, we must imitate 
him, and by imitating, become like him, and be merciful, as he 
is merciful. Like him, therefore, who causes his sun to rise 
upon the evil and the good, we must love, not our friends only, 
but our enemies also ; not only the good and pious, but also 
sinners and the unjust, to whom we must do good according 
to our ability, as we would have God be good to us. 



432 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Judge not, and you shall not be judged. 

With these words Christ forbids two kinds of judgment; 
that which is rash or presumptuous, and that which is arrogant. 
A rash judgment is that of him who, without any reason, and 
upon mere suspicion, considers the conduct of his neighbor to 
be bad and punishable ; for no one can see into his heart, and 
know the meaning and intention of his deeds. The only judge 
of these is God, who tries the heart and reins. An arrogant 
judgment is that of one who judges another, without any right 
to do so, as his judge or superior. Both these kinds of judg- 
ment are most sinful, because thereby man intrudes upon the 
prerogative of God, and grievously violates the love of his 
neighbor. He also incurs, thereby, a severe judgment upon 
himself. For, says St. Chrysostom, in condemning thy brother, 
thou condenmest thyself, and challengest the Judge to deal 
severely with thee. Would it not be better for one to judge 
himself. 

Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. 

In these words Christ teaches us that we can obtain the for- 
giveness of our sins only upon condition that we forgive our 
enemies their little offences, from our hearts, laying aside all 
secret anger, which would hinder us from looking upon them, 
or speaking to them with friendliness; as St. Chrysostom ex- 
plains, Wouldst thou be forgiven ? Then first forgive. 

Give, and it shall be given to you. 

We ourselves are poor, and have great need that God should 
give to us. Therefore we say, every day, " Give us this day 
our daily bread." But God gives to us only on condition that 
we imitate his love and bounty by giving to others. As if he 
said to us: "You are my poor; would you have me give to 
you? Do you then give, according to your ability, to the 
poor whom you have with you." And how richly does God 
reward this kind of beneficence! It is but little that we can 
give ; but for our little he returns much, with good measure, 
■pressed down, and shaken together, and running over. The 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 433 

same is true also of all other works that we do for the love of 
God ; even the very least he rewards with unfailing bounty — 
here with new graces and benefits, hereafter with the everlast- 
ing glory of heaven. Even so will he reckon with the wicked. 
For with the same measure that he shall mete withal, shall it 
he measured to him again. His punishment will be adjudged 
to him according to the multitude and malice of his sins; and 
the more sinful lusts he has delighted in, the more torments 
will he have for his portion. Would that they might consider 
this lesson who heap sin upon sin, and drink in evil as they 
would drink water. 

What did Jesus intend to teach by the parable of the blind 
leading the blind f 

He intended thereby to warn and admonish his disciples, 
who were one day to be the pastors and. leaders of the people, 
not to be like the Pharisees, who were but blind leaders, carry- 
ing themselves and those intrusted to their guidance into the 
ditch / that is, going to destruction. That these were blind 
guides, he points out in this : that they observe and censure 
the mote, that is, the least fault in their neighbor, while they 
cannot see the beam, that is, the far greater fault, in themselves. 
And they lead their followers to destruction, because, as the 
disciples cannot be above their master, so they who learn of the 
Pharisees can neither be better instructed in the way of salva- 
tion, nor lead a better life than their teachers. But with his dis- 
ciples it should not be so. They must shape their life by his, 
confirm their teachings by their example, and so guide their 
people in the right way. The following lesson holds good for 
every age, and is particularly applicable to all superiors, parents, 
instructors, and teachers. "Whoever would teach, admonish, 
reprove, and lead others to the way of salvation, should first 
do himself what he enjoins upon others — should be free from 
what he reproves in them, and go before them in the way to 
heaven. Would it not be no less wicked than ridiculous to re- 
prove others for that which we are ourselves guilty of, and to 
point out to them a way which we do not know ourselves. 
19 



434 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



{ration. 

Oh, that I always had been merciful towards my neighbor, 
and never judged any one rashly and falsely! For how can T 
now expect a merciful and gracious judgment from God ? O my 
God, I detest these sins from my heart; I will, from my heart, 
forgive all those who have offended me, and I hope thereby to 
obtain forgiveness of my own sins. Enlighten, O Lord, my 
blindness, that for the future I may avoid those sins, and by 
showing myself full of mercy and charity, may obtain mercy 
in the day of judgment. Amen. 



QLovpixB C£l)risli HJag. 

Why is this day called Corpus Christi day? 

Because on this day the Catholic Church solemnly celebrates 
the institution of the holy sacrament of the altar. The name 
signifies, in English, the Body of Christ. 

Why is this feast not celebrated on Maundy Thursday, rather 
than on the present Thursday ? 

1. Because on Maundy Thursday, the day of the institution 
of this sacrament, the Church, occupied with the passion and 
death of Christ, has no thought of joy, but gives herself up to 
grief. 2. Because it was not until they were enlightened and 
taught by the Holy Ghost, that the Apostles made known and 
dispensed this mystery to the faithful (Acts ii. 42). 

Who established this festival ? 

Pope Urban IV. It was done in the following manner: 
The devout nun Juliana, in the diocese of Liege, was vouch- 
safed a special vision concerning this feast. For, being in an 
ecstasy, she saw the moon, elsewhere all shining, but in one 
spot somewhat darkened, and was thereupon taught by God 
that this dark spot denoted one feast wanting in the Church's 
course of festivals, namely, the feast of Corpus Christi. This 
revelation becoming public, Robert, Bishop of Liege, caused a 
careful examination to be made concerning it, as the result of 
which he determined, in the year 1247, to celebrate this feast 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 435 

solemnly in his diocese. This intention he was prevented from 
carrying out by death. It was, however, accomplished by his 
successor. In the year 1264 Pope Urban IV., Avho had as- 
sisted as archdeacon, at the examination, commanded this 
feast to be solemnly celebrated throughout the whole Church. 
Clement V. confirmed this order, at the Council of Yienne, 1311, 
and fixed the feast on the first Thursday after Trinity Sunday. 

For what purpose was this feast instituted, and why are pro- 
cessions so solemnly held on this day ? 

1. Because it is in the highest degree just, as the Council of 
Trent says, that Christians should be particularly thankful for 
these inexpressible and truly divine benefits, by which is repre- 
sented Christ's victory over sin and death. 2. In order to cele- 
brate the triumph of truth over falsehood and heresy with such 
solemnity, that its adversaries, at the sight of such splendor 
and such universal joy, may either be humbled and Aveakened, 
or ashamed and disconcerted, and finally converted. 3. To 
thereby declare, openly, to the faithful, the real and substantial 
presence of Jesus in the holy sacrament of the altar. 4. In 
order to manifest, in the sight of heaven and earth, honor and 
adoration for him before whom every knee shall bow. 5. To 
give public thanks for the institution of this holy sacrament, 
and for all the graces thereby conferred upon the faithful. 
6. To repair, in some measure, by solemn adoration, the 
wrongs done to Christ, in this sacrament. 7. To bring down 
God's blessing upon the land and upon the people. 8. To show 
that Jesus, as true God, dwells not only in temples built by 
hands, but that he has heaven for his throne, the earth for his 
footstool, and the whole world for his temple. 9. To fulfil the 
type of the old law, in which the ark, with the manna inclosed 
therein, was carried as the figure of the holy sacrament of the 
altar. Hence, it is plain how justly due to God, and how con- 
sonant to faith and reason these processions are. But, in re- 
gard to these the clergy should take pains, by instruction and 
watchfulness, to promote devotion ; and to establish whatever 
order requires. 

Why are the beginnings of the four Gospels sung at four 
different altars ? 



436 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

To signify : 1. That all four Gospels, with one voice, declare 
that the true Son of God became also true man, to redeem us ; 
and, as the true bread of heaven, to convey life eternal to the 
redeemed. 2. That all men, from all the four quarters of 
heaven, nay, the whole creation of heaven and earth, should 
have part in the redemption by Jesus, and in salvation and 
happiness through him. 

(On this feast, and throughout the octave, a plenary indul- 
gence may be gained by all who hear at holy mass with a pure 
conscience.) 

In joy for these benefits, the Church sings at the Introit of 
the Mass: He fed them with the fat of wheat, alleluja/i / and 
filled them with honey out of the rock, allelujah, allelujah 
(Ps. lxxx.) Rejoice to God our helper, sing aloud to the God 
of Jacob. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who in this wonderful sacrament hast left us a me- 
morial of thy passion, grant us, we beseech thee, so to rever- 
ence the sacred mysteries of thy body and blood, that we may 
ever perceive within us the fruit of thy redemption, through 
Christ. 

Epistle. (1 Cor. xi. 23-29.) 

Brethren : For I have received of the Lord that which also I de- 
livered unto you : that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was 
betrayed, took oread, and giving thanks, broke and said : Take ye and 
eat, this is my body which shall be delivered for you : this do for the 
commemoration of me. In like manner also the chalice, after he had 
supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my blood: this 
do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me. For 
as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall 
show the death of the Lord until he come. Therefore whosoever shall 
eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be 
guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove 
himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. 
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judg- 
ment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 437 

Explanation. 

St. Paul, by the first words of this epistle, would say, that 
he had received the doctrine of the most blessed sacrament, at 
the institution of which he was not present, by immediate reve- 
lation from Jesus Christ himself. He now communicates to 
the Corinthians, in writing, the same instruction in regard to 
it, which he had previously given them by word of mouth. 

Instruction on the Holy Sacrament of the Altar. 

What is the holy Sacrament of the Altar ? 

It is that sacrament in which, after the words of its institu- 
tion have been spoken by the priest, Jesus Christ is present, 
whole and entire, in his Godhead and in his manhood, under 
the appearance of bread and wine, not in figure, but in truth, 
not in belief only, but in act, not as something besides the 
bread and wine, but in his own substance, so that the bread 
is changed into the body and the wine into the blood of Jesus, 
and only the appearances of those elements remain. 

When and how did Jesus institute this sacrament ? 

At the last supper. In the night, before he was betrayed, 
he took bread, and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to his 
disciples saying, " Take and eat, for this is my body which will 
be given for you." In the same manner, he took the chalice 
and said, "Take and drink, for this chalice is the new covenant 
in my blood. Do this as often as you drink from it in com- 
a n i novation of me." 

What did Jesus effect by these words ? 

He changed bread and wine into his most precious body and 
blood. 

Has he given to others the power to do the same ? 

Yes; to his Apostles and their successors, the bishops and 
priests, in these words, "Do this in commemoration of me." 

What takes place at the words of consecration ? 

Bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of 
Jesus Christ, and only the outward appearances of bread and 
wine remain. 

What do we understand by outward appearances ? 



438 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

What is outwardly subject to our senses, as the color, 
shape, and taste of bread and wine. 

How, then, is Jesus present in this most holy sacrament ? 

He is present, truly, really, and substantially in his divinity 
and humanity, in flesh and blood, in body and soul, under the 
appearances of bread and wine. 

Why do we believe this ? 

1. Because the words of Jesus do not reasonably admit of 
any other meaning : since by them we perceive, (a) that Jesus 
gave to his disciples a certain nourishment which they were to 
eat; (b) that this nourishment, as to appearance, was bread 
and wine, but Jesus called the bread his body, which was 
afterwards to be sacrificed for us, and the wine, his blood 
which was to be shed for us : this food consequently was not 
bread and wine, but, under the appearance of bread and wine, 
was indeed his body and blood ; since what he gave for our 
redemption was not bread and wine, but his true body and his 
true blood ; (c) that, as the body and blood of Jesus were in- 
separable from his soul and divinity, he gave himself up for 
our nourishment, whole and undivided, as he hung, bled, and 
died upon the cross; (d) that he commanded what he had 
done to be continued until he should come again (1 Cor. xi. 
26), that is, until the end of the world; and that he, (e) on 
account of this being his testament, and the new law, was not 
at liberty to speak figuratively, but plainly and distinctly. 

2. Because the Apostles preached this very doctrine. In 
particular, St. Paul, whom our Lord had specially instructed, 
says most expressly, as the epistle of to-day shows, that he 
that eateth and drinketh unworthily maketh himself guilty of 
the body and blood of Christ, and eateth judgment to himself, 
not distinguishing the body of the Lord from common food. 
But how could he say this if Christ were only figuratively and 
not truly and really present ? 

3. Because the Catholic Church, the pillar and foundation of 
truth, has thus constantly taught, from the Apostles' times 
down to the present day, as the oldest Councils and the Holy 
Fathers unanimously testify. The faith of Catholics is there- 
lore founded upon the words of Jesus and the teaching of the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 439 

Apostles, and so entirely that we might say, that he could not 
have intended to teach us the truth, unless his words were to be 
thus understood. This Catholic faith, moreover, is as old as 
Christianity, and as universal as the Catholic Church. What 
reason, therefore, can non-Catholics and Rationalists bring 
against it ? Are they wiser than the Holy Fathers, more in- 
fallible than the Councils of the Church, nearer to the fountain 
than Paul, Ignatius, Justin? Perhaps they consider this mys- 
tery an impossibility ? But what is impossible to him who has 
created and preserved heaven and earth, who has changed 
water into wine, who has given life to the dead, and raised 
himself from the grave ? And is it not then enough for men, 
who must confess all their knowledge to be only in part, to 
know that God has so said, to submit and. believe ? Or are 
new believers offended that they should eat the flesh and blood 
of Christ ? So, too, were the Jews, but they received for an- 
swer, that without this food they could, have no life in them 
(John vi. 54). That was, indeed, the very will of Jesus, to 
give himself to be our food ; and. that is the fulness of love 
and consolation for us, that we receive him, and icith him, all 
things — the fulness of grace and the pledge of immortahty, as 
he predicted (John vi.) 

[This instruction is continued after the gospel.] 

Aspiration. 

O most benign Jesus, hidden under the appearance of bread, 
by the love with which thou gavest thyself in this holy sacra- 
ment, to be the food of souls, strengthen and increase in me 
and all thy people faith in this holy sacrament, and grant that 
we may approach it only after an earnest examination and 
cleansing of conscience, that we may receive, not our condem- 
nation, but life everlasting. Amen. 

Gospel. (John vi. 56-59.) 

At that time, Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews : My flesh is 
meat indeed : and my blood is drink indeed : he that eateth my flesh, 
and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him. As the living 
Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father : so he that eateth me, 



440 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

the same also shall live by me. This is the bread that came down 
from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead. He 
that eateth this bread shall live forever. 



What is the meaning of the words, my flesh is meat 
indeed? 

Jesus had, on the day before he spoke these words, fed five 
thousand persons with five loaves of bread ; when the Jews on 
that account followed him to the other side of the Lake v of 
Genesareth, Jesus said to them, that they ought to seek, not 
that bread which perishes, but the living bread which the Son 
of man would give them. They, not content with so many 
signs which he had given them, asked, as a ground for believing 
in him, a particular sign from heaven, such as was the manna 
under the Old Law. Jesus answered them, "3foses gave to 
your fathers manna from heaven, and all who ate of it died. 
But I am the living bread which came from heaven ; whoso- 
ever eats this bread shall live forever / for the bread which I 
will give you is my flesh." 

While the Jews disputed about this, and while many even 
of his own disciples, were offended that they should eat his 
flesh, and thereupon forsook him, Jesus again repeated ex- 
pressly, that his flesh was meat indeed, and his blood drink 
indeed / and whoso should eat of this bread, should live for- 
ever. Could he have said more plainly that he would give 
himself— his flesh and blood — to be the food of men ? 

How are the words to be understood, he that eateth my 
flesh, &c, abideth in me, and I in him f 

In these words Jesus points out the manner in which, by 
means of this sacrament, he unites himself with man. Who- 
ever accordingly receives Jesus, is united with him, not only 
by sanctifying grace, but also in such a real manner that Jesus 
and man become, as it were, one. Jesus lives and works in 
man, purifies and sanctifies him, directly, by his own presence, 
so that as the Son lives through the Father, in like manner man 
lives through the Son. For which reason St. Chrysostom calls 
this sacrament "the mingling of Christ with man;" St. Cyril, 
" the communication not only of the love, but also of the nature 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 441 

of Christ." The holy Church calls it " communion," because 
man thereby enters into a living fellowship with Christ, and in 
him, with all who receive him. 

Why did Jesus say, this is the bread which came down from 
heaven f 

He wished thereby to instruct the Jews that the bread which 
he should give them, like the manna, came down from heaven, 
and was, indeed, the only true bread from heaven. The 
manna was but a type, and could only prolong the life of the 
body, but not perpetuate even that ; far less could it con- 
vey a life that should be spiritual and eternal. The type was 
now to be fulfilled ; the bread that he was about to give them 
would impart to them eternal life, and this bread should be his 
flesh, — himself, who truly came from heaven, to redeem man- 
kind, and to bring them to life everlasting. Jesus calls his 
flesh bread, partly on account of its likeness to the manna, 
partly on account of its effect ; for as bread nourishes the body, 
and sustains the earthly life, so the body of Christ, in the holy 
sacrament, nourishes the soul, and imparts to it, continually, a 
new, divine, and everlasting life. 

Aspiration, 

O Lord, what happiness is our portion, that thou art the 
food of our souls, that we live by thee, that we are permitted 
to receive thee within us, as the author of holiness, and the 
pledge of everlasting happiness. But we cannot receive thee 
worthily unless thou assist us with thy grace. Come, then, to 
us, and prepare thyself in us a worthy abode, and remain in 
us, that we may worthily receive thee, and enjoy, here and 
hereafter, the blessedness of possessing thee. 

Instruction on the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar con^ 

tinned. 
What are the effects of this sacrament ? 
As this sacrament conveys, not only one or several graces, 
but the author of all graces, and in, and with him, all good, so 
also the effects of it are infinite. It nourishes the soul, com- 
municates a taste for divine things, cleanses from daily faults, 

lite- 



442 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

frailties, and imperfections; guards against mortal sins, sup- 
plies invincible strength against all temptations, increases 
sanctifying grace, and is to the worthy communicant the pledge 
of everlasting life — to the worthy communicant ; for he who 
receives unworthily, incurs frightful sin, separates himself still 
further from God, and eats therein judgment to himself that 
is, eternal damnation ! 

The effects of this sacrament are described by the fathers in 
the most touching manner. St. Chrysostom says, that those 
who receive worthily return from this holy table like fiery 
lions, that is, bold, unterrified, and firm against all assaults of 
the devil, the world, and the flesh. St. Ambrose says: Would 
you have your wounds healed ? This sacrament is your cure. 
Do you desire help ? Here is strength for you. Are you sorely 
assailed ? God has, in this sacrament, prepared a table before 
you, against them that afflict you (Ps. xxii. 5). St. Thomas 
Aquinas teaches that no sacrament is so beneficial as this, since 
it extirpates sins (anger, envy, avarice, jealousy), represses evil 
inclinations, procures virtues, and adorns the soul with spirit- 
ual gifts. 

How eager, then, should we be to receive this most holy 
sacrament often ! How soon, then, would families — how soon 
would the whole Church, put on a new appearance ! The first 
Christians received it daily, and hence came the purity of their 
morals ; their zeal in the service of God ; their disdain of 
earthly goods, honors, and pleasures ; their strength in sorrow 
and suffering, in torments and martyrdoms ; their holiness of 
life ; their hope of the life to come ; for they lived and suffered, 
as it were, not of themselves, but it was Christ, dwelling in 
them by the holy sacrament, who lived and suffered in them. 
Were they hindered by persecution from assembling to receive 
holy communion, they carried the consecrated host with them, 
by it to strengthen themselves for the hour of combat. When 
we now see in Christians so much indifference, weakness, law- 
lessness, whence should all this so likely come, as from infre- 
quent or unworthy communions? Learn, Christian, to under- 
stand this ; and in order to obtain light, strength, and all 
graces, come where they are ready prepared for you, in over- 



THE EPISTLES ANT) GOSPELS. 443 

flowing measure and with unbounded love. Come often to 
this Fountain ; though not every day, yet every fortnight, or 
at least every month. Have mercy on yourselves ; make some 
return for the love of your Redeemer. Come and be warmed 
with the fire of eternal love ! But when you come, prepare 
yourselves worthily beforehand, that you may receive, not 
judgment, but eternal life. 

How is one to prepare himself beforehand ? 

1. By cleansing his soul from all mortal sins by a sincere 
and contrite confession, and by striving to possess faith, rever- 
ence, humility, and a holy longing to receive Christ. 2. By 
remaining fasting from midnight (from which rule the sick are 
exempt), and by showing veneration for the sacrament, by ex- 
ternal respectfulness and propriety of demeanor. 

Why is communion given only in one kind ? 

1. The Church gives holy communion only under one kind, 
to guard against abuses; for example, the spilling of the wine; 
2. In opposition to those who hold that communion can only 
be received under both kinds, to hold fast the true doctrine, 
which is that Christ, whole and undivided, the entire sacra- 
ment is received under one kind. The truth of this doctrine 
is plain from this, that where the living body of Christ is, there 
is the Avhole Christ ; that Christ promises eternal life to him 
who eats this bread alone (John. vi. 59), and finally, that there 
is no divine law which commands the receiving of this sacra- 
ment under both kinds. 

How is this sacrament administered ? 

The attendants of the priest first say the Coi^fiteor, during 
which those that are to communicate go up to the rail before 
the altar, kneel down there, and, taking the communion cloth, 
hold it before their breasts in such manner that, if any particle 
of the consecrated host should fall, it might not fall upon the 
floor, but be received upon the cloth. 

After the Confiteor, the priest, turning towards the com- 
municants, says, " May Almighty God have mercy on you, for 
give you your sins, and bring you to life everlasting. Amen." 

" May the Almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon, 
absolution, and remission of all your sins. Amen." 



444: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Then the priest, taking the particles of the blessed sacra- 
ment, and holding one of them, which he elevates a little over 
the pix or paten, pronounces the following words : " Ecce Ag- 
nus Dei," &c. ; that is, " Behold the Lamb of God ; behold 
him who taketh away the sins of the world." He then repeats 
three times the words of the centurion, " Domine non sum 
dignus," &c, " Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter 
under my roof; speak but only the word, and my soul shall 
be healed." Every one present should repeat these words with 
the priest, striking at the same time on the breast. The priest 
then gives holy communion, making the sign of the cross with 
the consecrated particle over each of the communicants, and 
saying to each, " Corpus Domini nostri," &c. ; that is, " The 
body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve thy soul unto life ever- 
lasting. Amen." The saying of the Confiteor, and of the 
words of the centurion, are the expression of sorrow, humility, 
and veneration ; the words of the priest at distributing the 
consecrated hosts, indicate the most excellent effects of this 
holy sacrament. 

Why is this sacrament kept in the tabernacle, and exposed 
for adoration ? 

That Jesus may be always present with us ; that we may 
have a continual remembrance of his boundless love for us, 
and that the sick, in danger of death, may be quickly strength- 
ened with the bread of life. A light is kept at all hours burn- 
ing before it, to point out and honor the presence of Christ, 
the Light of the world, and also to indicate that every Chris- 
tian, and every Christian community, should be spiritually a 
burning light before the Lord. 

The object of the blessed sacrament being often exposed 
and carried in procession, is the adoration of Jesus, the public 
profession of faith, the promotion of the love of God, and of 
devotion. 

Attend, therefore, these services with devoutness and vener- 
ation. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 445 



feast of ttje Sacreb ijcart of 3esns. 

Although many pious souls had been accustomed, in the 
silence of their secluded lives, to venerate the Sacred Heart of 
Jesus with great devotion, as we see in St. Augustine, St. Ber- 
nard, St. Bonaventure, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis of 
Sales, St. Ignatius, St. Clare, St. Gertrude, St. Matilda, St. 
Catharine of Sienna, St. Teresa, and others, yet still our divine 
Saviour desired that the boundless love of his heart might be 
known by all men, and that a new fire of love should thereby 
be kindled in the cold hearts of Christians. For this purpose 
he made use of a frail and little-known instrument, that the 
whole world might perceive that the hitherto unheard-of de- 
votion to his loving heart was his own work. This instrument, 
disregarded by men, but shining with the splendor of sublime 
virtues before God, was a nun, by name Margaret Mary Ala- 
coque, of the order of the Visitation, at Paray, in Burgundy. 
The divine Saviour often appeared to this pure spouse of his, 
whom he had exalted by the most difficult and protracted ex- 
ercises of humility to be the fit instrument of his design, and 
showed her his loving Heart, as it were, upon a throne, sur- 
rounded by flames transparent like crystal, shining far more 
brightly than the sun. The wound which had pierced it, when 
his side was opened on the cross, was plainly seen ; it was en- 
circled with thorns, and over it shone the victorious sign of 
love, the holy cross. 

One day, when, according to her custom during the octave 
of Corpus Christi, she was deeply engaged in devotions before 
the blessed Sacrament, the divine Saviour again appeared to 
her, showed her his heart burning with love, and said, "Be- 
hold this Heart, which has loved men so much that it has spared 
nothing, that it has even exhausted and consumed itself in 
showing its love to them. Instead of gratitude, I receive from 
the greater part of them nothing but ingratitude, in their con- 
tempt, disrespect, sacrilege, and indifference towards me in this 
sacrament of love. What is most painful to me is, that those 
very hearts that are dedicated to me, thus act against me. I 



446 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

desire, therefore, of you to procure that the first Friday after 
the octave of Corpus Christi be observed as a particular feast 
for the veneration of my Heart, by solemn petitions for pardon, 
and by devout reception of the holy communion, with the in- 
tention of making amends for those undeserved cruelties which 
my heart has suffered, while I have been exposed upon the 
altar. I promise you that my heart shall pour out abundantly 
the influence of its divine love on those who pay it such honor 
themselves, or cause such honor to be shown by others." 

Margaret obeyed, but met everywhere the greatest oppo- 
sition, until finally, when she became mistress of novices, she 
succeeded, by the help of her divine Spouse, in animating them 
to venerate the Sacred Heart of Jesus. But this was not suf- 
ficient for her zeal. Still she endeavored, amid continued con- 
tradictions, to fulfil the command of Jesus, who himself finally 
interposed, softened the opposition of the nuns, and kindled in 
all of them an equal devotion towards his most sacred heart. 
Thence the devotion spread into the adjoining dioceses, where 
confraternities in honor of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus soon 
sprung up. Pope Clement XIII., after having instituted a 
most rigorous examination of the whole affair, commanded 
that the feast of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus should be sol- 
emnly celebrated throughout the whole Catholic Church every 
year, on the first Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi. 



ON THE DEVOTION TO THE SACRED HEAKT OF JESUS. 

I. Object of this Devotion. 

In the divine heart of our Saviour we must not imagine an 
inanimate heart, separated from the person of Christ, but the 
living heart of the God-man, the centre of all his affections, the 
fountain of all his virtues, the most touching emblem of his in- 
finite love to man. For in like manner the Catholic Church 
venerates the cross, the blood, and the wounds of the divine 
Saviour, by feasts which have their proper masses and lessons, 
in order, by meditation upon these objects, to awaken in us a 
more fervent devotion to the Redeemer, who, for us, shed his 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 447 

blood on the cross, .and for our sakes received those wounds, 
which, as a token of his immense love for us, he was pleased to 
retain after his resurrection, and to carry with him to heaven, 
and which, at the final judgment, he w 7 ill one day show to us. 
But the sacred heart of our Saviour must be a far worthier ob- 
ject of devotion, since all its thoughts, movements, and affec- 
tions aim at our salvation, and since it is always ready to 
receive truly penitent sinners, to pardon them, to restore them 
again to his favor, and to make them partakers of eternal hap- 
piness. Accordingly, the saints, as w T as mentioned above, al- 
ways cherished a tender devotion towards this most sacred 
heart. " Longinus," says St. Augustine, " opened with a spear 
the side of Jesus Christ : there I enter and rest in safety." St. 
Bernard cries, " Oh, how good, how delightful is it, for one to 
make his abode in this heart ! In this temple, in this sanctuary, 
before this ark of the covenant, I will adore and praise the 
name of the Lord in the w r ords of the prophet, 'I have found 
the heart of Jesus, my king, my brother, my friend.' " " Be- 
lieve me, O ye blind men," says St. Bonaventure, "if you 
knew how, through the sacred wounds, to enter into the heart 
of Jesus, you would find there not only wonderful delight for 
your souls, but most sweet rest, also, for your bodies. But if 
the body finds rest therein, how great do you think is the de- 
light which the spirit receives, when united, through these 
wounds, with the heart of Jesus !" St. Peter Damian expresses 
himself in a manner not less beautiful : " In this adorable 
heart we find arms to defend ourselves against enemies, medi- 
cines for our healing, powerful assistance against temptations, 
the sweetest consolations in suffering, and the purest joys in 
this valley of tears." 

But St. Matilda and St. Gertrude were especially moved by 
the sweetness of this adorable heart, to adore it fervently ; and 
St. Gertrude, enlightened by the Spirit of God, spoke the pro- 
phetic words, " The Lord preserved the devotion towards his 
most sacred heart for the later centuries, as the last effort of 
his divine love." 

We have seen above how these words of St. Gertrude were 
fulfilled by the blessed Margaret. Would that the fervent de- 



448 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

sire of Jesus, that all men should know and love his most 
sacred heart, might be fulfilled ! 

II. Excellence of this Devotion. 

It is, writes the blessed P. Simon Gourdan : 

1. The most holy devotion, for therein men venerate in 
Christ those affections and motions of his heart by which he 
sanctified the Church, glorified his Heavenly Father, and 
showed himself to men as a perfect example of the most 
sublime holiness. 

2. The oldest devotion of the Catholic Church, which, in- 
structed by St. Paul, the great Apostle, has at all times ac- 
knowledged the great beneficence of the divine and sacred 
heart of Jesus. 

3. The most approved devotion, for the Holy Scriptures 
everywhere admonish us to renew the heart, by changing our 
lives; to penetrate it with true sorrow, to inflame it with 
divine love, and to adorn it by the practice of all virtues. 
When, therefore, a new heart is promised us, by which to di- 
rect our lives, that can be no other than the heart of Jesus, 
which is to us the pattern of all excellence, and which we 
must follow, if we would be saved. 

4. The most perfect devotion, as being the origin' of all other 
devotions. For the heart of Jesus is the inexhaustible treas- 
ury, from which the blessed Mother of God, and all other 
saints have derived their graces, their virtues, their life, their 
spiritual goods. Filled first with treasures from this source, 
different servants of God have instituted and established other 
devotions. 

5. The most profitable devotion, for thereby we have brought 
before our eyes the very fountain of life and grace, and can 
draw directly from it, increasing in ourselves all virtues, by 
adoring this divine heart, meditating on its holy affections, 
and endeavoring to imitate them. 

6. The devotion most pleasing to God, for thus we adore 
God, as Christ requires, in spirit and in truth, serving him in- 
wardly in our hearts, and endeavoring to please him: finally — 

7. The most necessary devotion, since it is the whole object 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 449 

of it to unite us most intimately with Christ as members of 
him, her head, to make us live by and according to his spirit, 
to have one heart and soul with him, and through grace finally 
to become one with him, which is and must be the object of 
all devotions. 

As this devotion is thus so excellent, we cannot sufficiently 
recommend it to all w T ho are anxious about their salvation. 
Every one can, indeed, make this devotion, and adore the 
Sacred Heart of Jesus, by himself, but there is a greater bless- 
ing when pious souls unite in performing it, making for that 
purpose a confraternity. Of such confraternities there were 
in the year 1726 more than three hundred, and they are now 
established throughout all Catholic countries. Hesitate not, 
Christian soul, to engage in their devotion, and to join in the 
adoration of that Sacred Heart of Jesus in which all men find 
propitiation, — the pious confidence, sinners their hope, the 
afflicted their consolation, the sick their support, the dying 
their refuge, the elect their joy and delight. 

The Introit of the Mass for this feast is, He will have 
mercy according to the multitude of his mercies, for he hath 
not willingly afflicted nor cast off the children of men ; the 
Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soid that seeketh 
him, alleluia, alleluia (Lamentations iii.) The mercies of the 
Lord I will sing forever to generation and generation. Glory 
be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Grant, Ave beseech thee, Almighty God, that we who, glory- 
ing in the most Sacred Heart of thy Son, commemorate the 
chief benefits of his charity towards us, may equally rejoice 
in their acts and fruits. Through the same Lord. 

Epistle. (Isaias xii. 1-6.) 
I will give thanks to thee, O Lord, for thou wast angry with me : 
thy wrath is turned away, and thou hast comforted me. Behold, God 
is my saviour. I will deal confidently, and will not fear : because the 
Lord is my strength, and my praise, and he has become my salvation. 
You shall draw waters with joy out of the Saviour's fountains : and 
you shall say in that day: Praise ye the Lord, and call upon his 



4:50 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

name: make his works known among the people: remember that his 
name is high. Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath done great things: 
show this forth in all the earth. Rejoice, and praise, O thou habita- 
tion of Sion : for great is he that is in the midst of thee, the Holy 
One of Israel. 

Explanation. 

The words of this epistle are a song of gratitude for the 
deliverance of the Jews from the hands of their enemies, 
and at the same time a prophecy of the future redemption of 
mankind from sin and death, through Jesus Christ. "You 
shall draw waters with joy out of the Saviours fountains." 
These fountains are the graces which Christ has obtained for 
us on the cross, but particularly, says St. Augustine, the holy 
sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, flowing into the Church 
from the opened side of the Saviour. We should rejoice over 
these graces, particularly that the Holy One of Israel, Jesus, 
the Son of God, is in the midst of Sion, that is, the Catholic 
Church, in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, remain- 
ing therein until the end of time. 

Oh, let us often approach the ever-flowing fountain of all 
graces, the most holy Eucharist, and draw thence with confi- 
dence, consolation, assistance, strength, and power from this 
fountain of love ! 

Gospel. (John xix. 31-35.) 

At that time, the Jews (because it was the parasceve), that the 
bodies might not remain upon the cross on the sabbath-day (for that 
was a great sabbath-day), besought Pilate that their legs might be 
broken, and that they might be taken away. The soldiers therefore 
came : and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was 
crucified with him. But after they were come to Jesus, when they saw 
that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of 
the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came 
out blood and water. And he that saw it hath given testimony : and 
his testimony is true. 

Practice. 

According to the Jewish law, a criminal could not be put to 
death, nor could the dead body of one who had been executed 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 451 

remain upon the place of execution, on the Sabbath-day. The 
Jews, therefore, demanded of Pilate the burial of the bodies 
of Jesus and the two thieves ; but before this could be done, 
according to the Roman law, the legs of the crucified must 
first be broken with an iron mace : this was accordingly done 
by the soldiers to the two thieves ; but when they came to 
Jesus and saw that he was already dead, one of the soldiers, 
whose name was Longinus, with a spear opened his side ; all 
which had been predicted by the prophets. Jesus permitted 
his most Sacred Heart to be opened, 1. To atone for those sins 
which come forth from the hearts of men, as Christ himself says, 
" For from the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adul- 
teries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, olasphemies (Matt, 
xv. 19). 2. To show the infinite love w T ith which he first 
loved us, and to which the spear should point us. 3. To show 
that there was nothing so dear to him that he would not give 
it to us, since, for our salvation, he shed the last drop of his 
heart's blood. 4. To provide, as it were, an abode in his 
opened side, according to the words of St. Augustine : " The 
Evangelist is very cautious in his language ; for he said, not 
the soldier pierced or wounded his side, but he opened it, that 
thereby there might be opened to us the door from which 
flow into the Church those holy sacraments without which we 
cannot enter into true life." 

When temptation assails us, or sorrow depresses us, let us 
flee to this abode,- and dwell therein until the storm has passed 
away ; according to the words of the Prophet, "Enter thou 
into the rock, and hide thee in the pit" (Isaias ii. 10). For 
what is the rock but Christ, and the pit, but his wound ? 

An Act of Resignation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

Whoever says the following prayer before the image of the 
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, with sincere sorrow for his sins, 
gains each time, an indulgence of one hundred days ; and by 
saying it daily for a month, he can on any one day gain a plenary 
indulgence, if he make his confession, receive communion, and 
pray according to the intention of the Church. 



452 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

My loving Jesus, I (N. ~N.) give thee my heart ; and I con- 
secrate myself wholly to thee, out of the grateful love I bear 
thee, and as a reparation for all my unfaithfulness to grace ; 
and with thine aid I purpose never to sin again. 



Seconb Suttbaj) after fJatteeost. 

On this Sunday also, the Church, in consideration of God's 
love towards us, animates us to love him, and our neighbor, 
and sings at the Introit of the Mass, The Lord became my 
protector, and he brought me forth into a large place / he saved 
me because he was well pleased with me (Ps. xvii.) I will love 
thee, Lord, my strength ; the Lord is my firmament, and 
my refuge, and my deliverer. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Grant, O Lord, that we may have a perpetual fear and love 
of thy holy name, for thou never ceasest to direct and govern, 
by thy grace, those whom thou instructest in the solidity of 
thy love. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (1 John iii. 13-18.) 

Dearly beloved : Wonder not, if the world hate you. "We know 
that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. 
He that loveth not, abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother, 
is a murderer. And you know that no murderer hath eternal life 
abiding in himself. In this we have known the charity of God, 
because he hath laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay 
down our lives for the brethren. He that hath the substance of 
this world, and shall see his brother in need, and shall put up his 
bowels from him: how doth the charity of God abide in him? My 
little children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, and 
in truth. 

Explanation. 

St. John, in this epistle, teaches us the following truths: 
1. We must not wonder that the world hates the Christian. 
Indeed, the true Christian must shun and contemn the world, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 453 

and what is in the world : his life is not regulated by the prin- 
ciples of the world. How, therefore, could it be otherwise 
than that the world should hate the true Christian? Such has 
always been the fact. 2. That one is a true Christian may be 
known by his loving his neighbor. For as it belongs to a 
child of this world, to the wicked, to the godless, to hate and 
persecute the good man, whose life contradicts their own, so, 
on the other hand, love of one's neighbor, of one's enemy and 
persecutor, is the mark by which to know whether a man is 
truly regenerated and translated from the death of sin to 
spiritual life. For he that loveth not, abideth in death — cannot 
become a child of God, who is love ; has not in him the life of 
God ; rather he is a murderer, because his lack of love, and 
his hatred, have first deprived him of spiritual life, and next, 
become the source of all other offences against his neighbor, 
of scandal, of seduction like Satan, of murder like Cain. But 
no murderer hath eternal life abiding in himself. 3. True 
love, like God's, of which it is the offshoot and image, is ac- 
tive and sacrificing, giving up, like Jesus, life itself, when ne- 
cessary, and that for its enemies. Have we this love, this 
token of Christianity in us ? Does not our love rather consist 
in mere compliments and idle demonstrations of friendship, 
while we waste to no purpose our real ability to assist others f 
If this be so, how can we stand before God ? 

Aspiration. 

O God, who art love, give me a heart full of active love, 
that I may love my neighbor not in word only, but in works 
of mercy, and thereby show how much I love thee. Amen. 

Gospel. (Luke xiv. 16-24.) 

At that time, Jesus spoke to the Pharisees this parable: A certain 
man made a great supper, and invited many. And he sent his servant, 
at the hour of supper, to say to them that were invited, that they 
should come, for now all things are ready. And they began all at 
once to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a form, 
and I must needs go out and see it; I pray thee, hold me excused. 
And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to try 



454 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

them : I pray thee, hold me excused. And another said, I have mar- 
ried a wife, and therefore I cannot come. And the servant returning, 
told these things to his lord. Then the master of the house being 
angry, said to his servant : Go out quickly into the streets and lanes 
of the city, and bring in hither the poor and the feeble, and the blind 
and the lame. And the servant said: Lord, it is done as thou hast 
commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said to the servant: 
Go out into the highways and hedges; and compel them to come in, 
that my house may be filled. But I say unto you, that none of those 
men that were invited, shall taste of my supper. 

How is the parable of the Great Supper to be understood ? 

At the supper to which Jesus was invited by one of the 
principal Pharisees, one of the company at table had said, 
Blessed is lie who can feast in the kingdom of God. From 
these words Jesus took occasion to compare the kingdom of 
God with a great supper. 

The supper is the kingdom of God upon earth, the Church 
of Christ, in which are deposited all the treasures of grace, 
for the nourishment, strengthening, and sanctification of our 
souls. It is a Great Supper, because the Church is to take in 
all men of all times. 

Jesus, the God-man, himself prepares this supper by estab- 
lishing his Church. The servant represents the Apostles and 
the successors whom he sends into all the world, to call both 
Jews and Gentiles. The first invited were the Jews, to whom 
the coming of the Messias had been announced beforehand, 
and who were the first called to the Church. 

What is denoted by the excuses of those invited? 

The causes why the Jews were not converted to Christianity, 
such as pride, avarice, covetousness, and sensuality. They 
also denote the reasons why so many either fail to enter the 
Catholic Church, or live to her disgrace. Thus, he who bought 
a farm and went to see it, signifies those proud and avaricious 
men who seek only for temporal goods, and put aside all care 
for their souls ; he who wished to try his five yoke of oxen 
represents those too-busy persons, who so overload themselves 
with a thousand earthly cares and labors, that they find no 
time to do any thing for God and heaven ; he, finally, who 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 455 

could not come on account of his wife, stands for those sensual 
persons who, through the lusts and pleasures of sense, render 
themselves insensible to heavenly joys. 

Xow as the Jews, by such worthless excuses, had shown 
themselves unworthy to be received into the kingdom of God, 
they were accordingly shut out, and others called in their 
stead. 

Who are these others ? 

First, the humble and docile Jews, who, in respect to their 
dispositions, were the opposite of the proud, avaricious, and 
sensual Pharisees ; and in the next place those Gentiles pre- 
pared for Christianity, who, through the Apostles and their 
successors, were brought into the Church from the four 
quarters of the world. 

In what other sense may this parable be understood ? 

St. Gregory, and with him the holy Church, applies it, 1. To 
the most holy sacrament of the altar, with reference to which 
it is read on this Sunday. That is, indeed, a feast to which 
all are invited, which offers the fulness of graces and spiritual 
gifts, and is, therefore, fitly called a great feast ; it is despised 
by the sensual, proud, and earthly ; but to the penitent, the 
humble, the loving, it conveys innumerable blessings and ines- 
timable benefits. 2. It represents, also, the eternal happiness 
in which all the saints partake, of never-ending spiritual de- 
lights. And, in this regard, how great is not this feast ? It 
is God who has made it ready ; the house is heaven, the guests 
are all the children of God — the angels and saints from the be- 
ginning of the world — the joy is immeasurable and everlasting. 

But w r ith what scorn is it despised and bartered away, as 
once the Gospel was by the Jews, by avaricious men, over- 
burdened with business, to which they give up even Sundays 
and holydays; by sensual men, who put no restraint upon 
themselves, and deny themselves in nothing. What folly ! 
Thus pursuing earthly riches and pleasures, they will be shut 
out from the kingdom of heaven, while the poor, the miser- 
able, the low and humble, the penitent, shall be brought in by 
the sweet compulsion of the -Lord, and made to partake of his 
heavenly feast. 



456 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Aspiration. 
I thank thee, O merciful Jesus, that thou hast called me into 
thy Church, to the reception of the most holy sacrament, and 
to life eternal. O compel me, and continually urge me to deny 
myself, to combat the world and the flesh, with their pleasures, 
and make me, at last, partaker of thy eternal joys. Amen. 

Practical Lessons against Unchasteness. 

" I have married a wife, and therefore cannot come." — Luke xiv. 20. 

By thus introducing a wedding as an excuse, Jesus did not 
intend to say that matrimony would generally exclude persons 
from the kingdom of heaven. That man might have come to 
the supper notwithstanding his marriage, had he not been 
detained by an inordinate love of sensual pleasures. What 
Jesus, therefore, points out as a hinderance to entering into 
the kingdom of heaven is unchasteness; that is, the violation 
of modesty, either in thought, imagination, and desire, in ges- 
ture, words, dress, or actions ; thus he would show us how de- 
testable, shameful, and pernicious is this vice, which makes 
men so miserable, and incite us to purity and chastity, in 
whatever state of life we may live. 

Indeed, how lovely and happy are the pure in heart ! They 
are the temples of the Holy Ghost, who lives in and rules over 
them, and makes all their thoughts, deeds, and desires pleasing 
to God ; they are the joy of angels and of men, the ornament 
and happiness of families, the crown of the holy Church, and 
they shall one day see God (Matt. v. 8). 

On the other hand, how wretched do impure men make 
themselves ! 

1. They desecrate the temple of the Holy Ghost, and drive 
him out from their hearts, to make room therein for the un- 
clean spirit. Thereupon enter in impure imaginations and 
lusts, and a thousand sinful inclinations: distractions, longings 
for pleasure, coquetry, falsehood, dishonesty, envy, take the 
place of purity, love, pious faith, peace, joy, delight in God, and 
heavenly things. Nay, they make themselves incapable any 
longer to understand divine things (1 Cor. ii. 14). 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 457 

2. They give up the body, which is a member of Christ, to 
the service of sin ; base pleasures destroy their health, weaken 
the powers of the soul, defile and disgrace the hitherto pure 
body, which should one day rise gloriously from the dead. 

3. They sin against all mankind, bring themselves and their 
parents to shame and dishonor, become only too often the be- 
trayers of innocent souls, and contract consequently innumer- 
able sins, since by scandal and temptation they lead others 
thereto. 

4. How miserable will the impure be ! History is witness 
to the terrible judgments and punishments of God upon this 
sin. He compares idolatry to it, as if unchasteness were the 
more shameful and punishable of the two. On account of this 
sin, he repented of having created mankind, and brought the 
flood upon the earth, destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with 
fire and brimstone (Gen. xix. 24), cut off the brothers Her and 
Onan by sudden death (Gen. xxxviii. 7, 10), and gave nearly 
the whole tribe of Benjamin to be slain (Judges xx. 47). And 
what are all these punishments, in comparison with those that 
await the unchaste hereafter ? He is shut out from the king- 
dom of God ; for no fornicator, nor adulterer, nor one who 
pollutes himself, nor one who defiles himself with mankind, can 
possess the kingdom of God (1 Cor. vi. 9). His portion shall 
be the worm that never dies, the fire that is never quenched, 
and the brimstone in which he and Satan, whom he has fol- 
lowed, shall suffer eternal torments. O Christian, tremble be- 
fore this sin. 

And let no one excuse himself that he has committed no 
grievous sin. In this case, there is nothing trivial ; all is done 
with the consent of the will ; the thoughts, gestures, looks, 
words, desires, embraces, kisses, and such like, which one 
causes, gives, or receives, are mortal sins, and exclude one 
from the kingdom of heaven. It is the eternal truth which 
says, Whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath 
committed adultery with her already in his heart (Matt. v. 28). 

One thing more completes the miserable condition of the 
unchaste. By a sincere conversion he might at least escape 
eternal punishment, but how hard is it for him from his heart 
20 



458 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

to turn to God ! For a hot soul is a burning fire ; it will 
never be quenched till it devours something (Ecclus. xxiii. 22, 
23). Desire becomes an irresistible inclination ; act forms an 
invincible habit, which makes light of all common means, frus- 
trates the firmest resolutions, checks the working of the holy 
sacraments, and makes the heart dull and insensible to all 
higher objects. Besides, as it belongs to true conversion to 
make amends for the consequences of one's sins, how hard 
must be the conversion of an unchaste person, if he is obliged 
to repair the consequences of his sins, against himself or against 
others ? 

Oh, think of this in season, and strive to keep chastity unde- 
nted ; or, if thou hast lost it, use with zeal the means of re- 
covery. 

The following means will aid you if you have the will, but 
without the will no means will preserve you, or rescue you 
from perdition. 

1. Avoid, (a) Idleness, which breeds all kinds of evil thoughts, 
desires, and fancies ; (b) The reading of impure books, which 
pollute the imagination, weaken the disposition for labor, and 
gradually remove the hatred of this vice ; (c) Excess in eating 
and drinking, by which the passions are excited, and the rea- 
son so stupefied as to be incapable of making any resistance ; 
(d) Bad company, for to the companies where impudent 
youths and forward young women meet, sin, death, and Satan 
also resort ; (e) Gatherings by night, under whatever pretext 
they may be held. At first very likely harmless, by degrees 
they kindle a burning flame that destroys soul and body. Ex- 
perience teaches this. 

2. Preserve, (a) Modesty, which is a hedge against all im- 
purity ; (b) Reverence toicards yourself — you are the temple 
of God, and his image ; (c) Reverence toicards God. " How 
shall I sin against God ?" Thus bethink yourself, and you 
will not fall ; (d) Remembrance of Jesus, of his passion and 
death. Alas ! shouldst thou corrupt what he, by his bitter 
passion, has sanctified ? (e) Recollection of death, judgment, 
and hell. What you sow, that shall you reap. Impurity earns 
for itself everlasting fire ; how will you be able to endure it ? 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 459 

3. Flee the first sin ; dread the first thought, the first mo- 
tion ; avoid, also, what appears a trifling thing, if it offend 
modesty. From little things come the great, and what are 
great now will soon appear small. 

4. Be zealous in prayer to God, and to the immaculate virgin 
and mother, Mary. 

5. Restrain your senses, particularly your eyes. Learn to 
be abstemious, and to deny yourself even lawful enjoyments 
and pleasures, that you may the more easily give up those that 
are unlawful. Chastise your body, by depriving yourself of 
delicate things, by penitential garments, and scourges. 

6. Watch always, and especially on occasions that cannot be 
avoided. 

7. Finally, receive often the holy sacrament, and choose a 
zealous confessor, in whom you place entire confidence, and 
whom you follow as your father. Think on God ; combat on 
every occasion promptly, without making terms ; call confi- 
dently on God for help, and you will carry off the victory, and 
become worthy, one day, to be a follower of the Lamb. 



ftljirfo 0nnba2 after Pentecost. 

On this Sunday the Church calls on us to be converted, and 
to endure our trials patiently. Accordingly, at the Introit of 
the Mass, she invites the sinner to call on the Lord, with con- 
fidence and humility. Look thou upon me and have mercy 
upon me, Lord, for I am alone and poor. See my abject- 
ness and my labor, and forgive all my sins, my God (Ps. 
xxiv.) To thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soid / in thee, 
my God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed. Glory be 
to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, the protector of those who hope in thee, without 
whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy, multiply thy mercy 
upon us, that under thy rule and guidance, we may so pass 



460 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

through the goods of time, as not to forfeit those of eternity 
Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (1 Pet. v. 6-11.) 

Dearly beloved : Be you humbled under the mighty hand of God, 
that he may exalt you in the time of visitation. Casting all your 
care upon him, for he hath care of you. Be sober and watch : be- 
cause your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking 
whom he may devour. Whom resist ye, strong in faith : knowing 
that the same affliction befalls your brethren who are in the world. 
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory in 
Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will himself perfect you, 
and confirm you, and establish you. To him be glory and empire for- 
ever and ever. Amen. 

Explanation. 

In these words, St. Peter teaches us, that he who would one 
day be exalted should humble himself under the mighty hand 
of God, and accept whatever bitter trials are sent from heaven 
with a heart full of faith and confidence ; further, that the 
devil is always seeking to draw us into sin, but that he is 
always easily conquered by men, through God's assistance ; 
when, namely, they use diligently the proper means thereto — 
sobriety, watchfulness, and prayer : and, finally, that after the 
short trials of this life, God will receive us into everlasting 
glory. 

Do we need any thing more to encourage us to faith and 
confidence in God, to love of God, to patience and constancy ? 

Practical Advice against Drunkenness. 

" Be sober and watch." — 1 Peter v. 8. 

St. Peter prescribes sobriety and watchfulness as necessary 
means for resisting the attacks of the devil, who by day and 
night goes about seeking whom he may devour. Woe to 
those whom in their drunkenness and lethargy he finds de- 
fenceless ; for how shall they escape his furious wrath ? A 
drunken and drowsy soldier is the sure prey of his enemies; 
in like manner will every Christian, without fail, be overcome 
by every temptation, and fall into every snare set for him, who, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 461 

by drunkenness, extinguishes the light of reason, and lives, 
as it were, in unbroken stupor and senselessness. For this 
reason, the Saviour warns us to watch and take heed (Matt, 
xxvi. 41), lest we at any time make our hearts heavy by 
excess in eating and drinking (Matt. xxiv. 49 ; Luke xxi. 34), 
that death may not come upon us like a thief in the night, 
unexpected and unprepared for. 

Let us, therefore, shun this vice, and, that we may do so 
effectually, reflect how disgraceful and deadly it is. 

Is it not shameful that man, endowed with reason and cre- 
ated for the joys of heaven, should drown that reason, which 
constitutes his likeness to God, in excess of drink, and make 
himself like the brutes, and even lower than the brutes? For 
what animal, what ox or ass, will continue to drink after he has 
quenched his thirst ? Are not, therefore, cries out St. Chrysos- 
tom, drunkards far more unreasonable and malicious than 
those brutes ? Yes, so indeed it is ; and that not only on ac- 
count of intemperance, but by reason also of the scandalous 
gestures, words, and actions which proceed from them in their 
drunkenness. How scandalously lay Noe, naked in his tent 
(though made drunk without his fault), the derision of the 
shameless Cham! (1 Gen. ix. 21.) The old Romans were ac- 
customed, by way of making their children hate this vice, to 
make one of their slaves drunk, and then to point out to them 
the disorder and shameful behavior of a drunkard, to impress 
upon them abhorrence of such a state. 

But what ought to deter any one from drunkenness is, fur- 
ther, the perniciousness of this vice. It ruins body and soul. 
Thousands, countless thousands, have by drunkenness found 
their death (Ecclus. xxxvii. 34), and still more have destroyed 
their health. Who hath woe? Whose father hath woe? 
Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of 
eyes ? Surely they that pass their time in wine, and study 
to drink off their cups (Prov. xxiii. 29, 30). This truth is 
established by daily examples, and the miserable old age, af- 
flicted with innumerable infirmities and disorders, of such as 
are addicted to drunkenness, is sufficient evidence how ruinous 
this vice is. 



462 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Besides, drunkenness is the mother of extravagance (Eph. 
v. 18) ; it opens gate and door to all sins. In his drunkenness, 
Lot, otherwise pious, denied his own daughter. Oh, would that 
all might w r ell weigh this, and make one of the necessary pre- 
ventives against this vice, w T hich prevails so greatly, and which 
is the source of so much want and poverty, of so many quar- 
rels and dissensions in families! Would, especially, that all 
young women who fear God, and have as yet escaped corrup- 
tion, might reflect upon this, and avoid all occasions of associ- 
ating with drunkards, or of frequenting places of amusement 
with them. For, to what dangers of losing their innocence 
do they not, in such w r ays, expose themselves ! Much more 
should they take care never to marry a man who is a drunkard, 
or a frequenter of drinking places. For how much care, sor- 
row, and wretchedness would they not, in that case, bring on 
themselves, and to what danger, of being forever lost, would 
they not expose themselves and their children ! 

But from the temporal, let us turn to the eternal conse- 
quences of this sin. What will and must become of those 
who, by reason of their drunkenness, live in a continual night, 
and lie in the perpetual sleep of sin ? How will it be with 
them, when they are suddenly awakened from this sleep by 
death, and find themselves standing, burdened with innumer- 
able and unknown sins, before the judgment-seat of God? 
For who can number the sins committed in, and by reason of 
drunkenness, but which the drunkard either makes account of 
only as trifles, easily pardoned, or else, from not knowing what 
he has thought, said, and done in his fit of intoxication, con- 
siders to be no sins at all ? 

Will the Divine Judge, at the last day, thus reckon? Will 
he also find no sin in them ? Will he let go unpunished the 
infamous deeds and the scandals of their drunkenness? He 
who demands strict account of every word spoken in vain, 
will he make no inquiry of so many shameful, scandalous, and 
blasphemous sayings, of so much time wasted, of so much 
money squandered, of some many neglects of the divine ser- 
vice, of the education of children, of the affairs of home, and 
of innumerable other sins ? Will they be able to excuse them- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 463 

selves before this Judge, by saying that they did not know 
what they were doing ? or that all took place without reflec- 
tion, or in jest ? or that they were of feeble strength, and 
could not bear much ? Will not such excuses rather witness 
against them that they are the more worthy of punishment, for 
having taken more than their strength could bear, thereby 
depriving themselves of the use of reason, making themselves 
like brutes, and, of their own free will, taking on themselves 
the responsibility for all the sins of which their drunkenness 
was the occasion ? 

What, then, awaits them? What else than the fate of the 
rich glutton, who, for his gluttony, was burned in hell (Luke 
xvi. 22) ? Yes, this shall be the place and the portion of the 
drunkard ! There shall they in vain sigh for a drop of water ! 
There, for all the pleasures and satisfactions which they had in 
the world, as many pains and torments shall now lay hold of 
them (Apoc. xviii. 7) ; there shall they be compelled to drain 
the cup of God's anger to the dregs, as they, in life, forced 
others into drunkenness. This is what they have to hope for, 
for St. Paul says expressly, that drunkards shall not possess 
the kingdom of God (1 Cor. vi. 10). What then remains for 
them, but to renounce either their intemperance or heaven ? 

But how rare and difficult is the true conversion of a drunk- 
ard ! This is the teaching of experience. Will not such an 
one, therefore, go to ruin ? 

Gospel. (Luke xv. 1-10.) 

At that time, the publicans and sinners drew near unto Jesus to 
hear him. And the Pharisees and the Scribes murmured, saying: 
This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spoke to 
them this parable, saying: What man is there of you that hath an 
hundred sheep : and if he shall lose one of them, doth he not leave 
the ninety-nine in the desert, and go after that which is lost until he 
find it? And when he hath found it, lay it upon his shoulders, re- 
joicing: and coming home call together his friends and neighbors, 
saying to them: Eejoice with me, because I have found my sheep 
that was lost? I say to you, that even so there shall be joy in 
heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety- 
nine just who need not penance. Or what Avoman having ten groats, 



464 INSTRUCTIONS ON m 

if she lose one groat, doth not light a candle and sweep the house, 
and seek diligently, until she h'nd it? And when she hath found it, 
call together her friends and neighbors, saying : Rejoice with me, 
because I have found the groat which I had lost. So I say to you, 
there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing 
penance. 

What caused the publicans and sinners to draw near to 
Jesus ? 

The friendliness and captivating goodness with which he 
met penitent sinners. Do you also draw near to him with a 
contrite heart, and be assured that, though you may be the 
greatest of sinners, he will receive you kindly, and grant you 
grace and forgiveness. 

Why did the Pharisees murmur ? 

Because they thought themselves better than other men, 
and therefore avoided the company of sinners themselves, and 
required the same of others. True justice, says St. Gregory, 
has compassion for sinners, while false and hypocritical justice 
is angry with them. Love sinners, therefore, in imitation of 
Jesus, and if you can do nothing else, at least pray earnestly 
for their conversion. 

What would Jesus teach by the parables of the lost sheep 
and the lost groat ? 

He desires, thereby, to show the proud Pharisees that he 
deserves no reproach for conversing kindly with sinners in 
order to convert them ; for if the shepherd takes so much care 
and pains for a lost sheep, and a poor widow for a lost groat, 
and all this be thought right, how much more worthy of their 
approval is it, when he, the Good Shepherd, goes after and 
lovingly brings back his lost sheep, the sinner, who is of infi- 
nitely more consequence than all earthly things, and over 
whose conversion not men only, but angels also rejoice. Learn, 
hence, the greatness of the love of Jesus, with which he re- 
ceives sinners (and consequently you also), brings them back 
to the Father, and reinstates them in the privileges of the 
children of God. 

Why shall there be joy before the angels of God upon one 
sinner doing penance ? 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 465 

1. Because, by the conversion of sinners, the places of the 
fallen angels will be filled. 

2. Because, for the penitent sinners, the passion of Christ is 
not in vain. 

3. Because the guardian angels rejoice over the happiness of 
those committed to their care. 

What is meant by the words, there shall be more joy over 
one sinner that does penance than upon ninety and nine just 
icho need not penance f 

Thereby it is not to be understood that the penitent sinner 
is more pleasing to God than ninety-nine just, but that, as men 
have a special joy over what they suppose to be lost, but found 
again, so also God, the angels, and saints have an extraordi- 
nary joy over the conversion of one sinner ; and that, because 
they are good, truly love men ; and because, in the conversion 
of the sinner, they see the glory, love, and power of God ex- 
alted. How long, sinner, will you delay to return to God, 
who with such love waits for you, and who has promised you 
such a reception ? 

Aspiration. 

O Lord, what profit hast thou in the conversion of a sinner, 
that thou art thereby so greatly pleased ? The happiness of 
one of thy poor creatures can add nothing to thine own. But 
thou lovest me, and therefore it is that thou art pleased if I re- 
turn to thee. O my God, is it possible that I can know this, 
thy love, and remain any longer in sin ? 



iTourtl) Stmbctg after J3entecost. 

With good confidence in God, say, with the priest, at the 
Introit of the Mass, The Lord is my light and my salvation, 
whom shall I fear f The Lord is the protector of my life, of 
whom shall I be afraid '? My enemies that troubled me have 
themselves been weakened and have fallen (Ps. xxvi). Lf 
armies in camp shoidd stand together against me, my heart 
shall not fear. Glory be to the Father. 

20* 



466 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Prayer. 

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that the course of the 
world, by thy direction, may, in our regard, be peaceful ; and 
that thy Church may rejoice in tranquil devotion. Through 
Christ, our Lord. 

Epistle. (Eom. viii. 18-23.) 

Brethren: I reckon, that tlie sufferings of this time are not worthy 
to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us. 
For the expectation of the creature waiteth for the revelation of the 
sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not wil- 
lingly, but by reason of him that made it subject, in hope : because 
the creature also itself shall be delivered from the servitude of corrup- 
tion, into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we 
know that every creature groaneth, and is in labor even till now. 
And not only it, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the 
spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the 
adoption of the sons of God, the redemption of our body, in Christ 
Jesus, our Lord. 

Brief Lessons. 

There is no better consolation under crosses and afflictions, 
no more powerful support in the adversities which happen to 
the virtuous and pious, than the thought that all the afflictions 
of the world are not to be compared with the glory to come, 
and that which is at present momentary and light of our tribu- 
lation icorketh for us above measure exceedingly an eternal 
weight of glory (2 Cor. iv. 17). And, therefore, St. Bede says, 
" If we had to bear for awhile the pains of hell, it would not 
appear so hard, if thereby we might merit to see Christ in his 
glory, and to be added to his saints." 

Aspiration. 

Ah ! Lord, when shall we be freed from the bonds of this 
sinful body, and partake of that unspeakable glory which thou 
hast prepared for thy children ? Who can sufficiently desire 
that glorious freedom which shall deliver us from so great 
misery, and so many temptations ? But we desire it not, for 
we are yet too earthly-minded and too much given to the love 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 467 

of our bodies. Cause us, O God, to feel the burden of our 
misery, that we may be thereby incited to desire ardently our 
deliverance. 

Gospel. (Luke v. 1-11.) 

At that time, when the multitudes pressed upon Jesus to hear the 
word of God, he stood by the lake of Genesareth. And he saw two 
ships standing by the lake : but the fishermen were gone out of them, 
and were washing their nets. And going into one of the ships that 
was Simon's, he desired him to draw back a little from the land. And 
sitting he taught the multitudes out of the ship. Now when he had 
ceased to speak, he said to Simon : Launch out into the deep, and let 
down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said to him : 
Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing : but 
at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had done this, 
they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke. 
And they beckoned to their partners that were in the other ship, that 
they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both 
the ships, so that they were almost sinking. Which when Simon 
Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus's knees, saying : Depart from me, for 
I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was wholly astonished, and all 
that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken. 
And so were also James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were 
Simon's partners. And Jesus saith to Simon : Fear not, from hence- 
forth thou shalt catch men. And having brought their ships to land, 
leaving all things, they followed him. 

What may we learn from the multitude who pressed on 
Jesus to hear the word of God ? 

That we, also, should hear the word of God with great zeal, 
since it conveys to men the life of the soul (Matt. iv. 4) and 
eternal happiness (Luke xi. 28). 

Why did Jesus teach the multitude out of the ship of Peter? 

1. In order to be better understood by the people. 2. But 
this act has also a higher spiritual signification. The ship of 
Peter is the figure of the Church, to the headship of which this 
same Peter had been appointed by Christ, and we receive the 
true doctrine from that Church only (John xxi. 15, 16, 17). 
Amid all storms Jesus has preserved, and will preserve, this 
ship of his Church, till the end of time (Matt. xvi. 18). Peter 
yet stands at the helm, in the unbroken line of his successors ; 



468 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Jesus yet teaches from the ship the same doctrines as before, 
by the mouth of bishops and priests, the assistants of St. Peter's 
successors; for whoso hears them hears him. Hear them, 
therefore, with willingness and docility. 

What was signified by the great draught of fishes which the 
Apostles took, by the command of Jesus, after they had 
labored the whole night in vain ? 

1. It was to be a confirmation to his hearers of the doctrines 
which he had been teaching. 2. In regard to the disciples, 
also, it contained important truths. It was to them a type of 
their vocation, a pledge of their successful labors, and at the 
same time a lesson how to labor so as to gain the fruits. For 
as they had let down their nets for a draught, even so should 
they afterwards publish the doctrines of the Gospel, to win the 
souls of men to the kingdom of God. The exceeding and 
wonderful abundance of the draught of fishes was to assure 
them that their zealous labors to save souls should, in like man- 
ner, be crowned with rich success. In fact, does not all his- 
tory confirm this ? At the first preaching of St. Peter about 
three thousand were converted, and forthwith the Gospel was 
announced to the whole world by the Apostles and their suc- 
cessors, and millions after millions have since been received 
into the bosom of the Church. That the disciples, after labor- 
ing all the night in vain, should at once take so many fish, 
when they let down their nets at the word of Jesus, was to be 
to them a lesson never to be forgotten, that they could work 
with blessing and success only by relying not on their own 
skill and painstaking, but only on the might and blessing of the 
Lord. 

Why did Jesus choose unlearned fishermen for Apostles ? 

To show, 1. That his doctrines and Church were the work, 
not of men, but of God ; 2. That all, not excepting the poor 
and ignorant, are called to his kingdom. 

What other lessons are to be drawn from this gospel ? 

1. The disciples take no fish so long as they cast their nets 
according to their own impulse. Learn hence, that nothing 
has any value before God which is done from mere natural in- 
clination and human respect. 2. But so soon as they let down 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 469 

their nets at the word of Jesus, they took a great abundance 
of fish. Learn hence that all our labors are without merit if 
not undertaken in the name of God ; but that he does not per- 
mit the least work undertaken without timidity, in reliance on 
him, and for his sake, to be in vain. 3. From the obedience 
of the disciples, we learn not to be discouraged if we do not at 
first see the success of our labors, but to renew our efforts with 
fresh confidence in God. Pastors, instructors, and parents 
should particularly mark this, that they be not weary of ad- 
monishing and teaching, with love and firm confidence in God, 
those committed to them. They will surely take a successful 
draught. 4. That the disciples obeyed so quickly, teaches us 
to obey God at once, to spare no sacrifice, to leave all quickly, 
and not to put off till to-morrow what is to be done to-day. 
5. That the Apostles called on their partners for help, teaches 
us how we also should assist our spiritual pastors in the con- 
version of sinners, by prayer, by fasting, almsgiving, and good 
example (James v. 20). Finally, every one may learn not to 
be proud of the success of his labor, but, like Peter, to give 
glory to God, who does so great things, by cheerfully leaving 
all earthly things to follow him. 

Instruction on a Good Intention. 

"At thy word I will let down the net." — Luke v. 5. 

In what does a good intention consist ? 

In this : that whatever a man does or forsakes, he should, 
like Peter when he was fishing, do and forsake all in the name 
of God, and for God's sake. 

There are many men who seem to be born, by the particular 
providence of God, to misery, since they are obliged to spend 
their lives in hard labor, in constant sickness, or in great pov- 
erty, without being able with all their efforts to better their 
condition. How, then, must they act to secure something 
better in the world to come ? They must, like the Apostles 
and saints, let down their nets in the name of Jesus ; that is, 
whatever they do or suffer, must be done or suffered in the 
name of God, with obedience and resignation to his will, and 



470 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

in the hope of receiving his blessing and an eternal reward. 
For he rewards every step we take for his sake, and even the 
cup of cold water that we give to the poor in his name ; and 
thus a good intention makes, as it were, God our debtor, trans- 
mutes lead into gold, and converts the trifling acts of daily life 
into treasures of merit. 

When and how shall we make a good intention ? 

One should, the first thing in the morning, offer up to God 
all his thoughts, words, and works, his trials and sufferings, his 
labors and travails of the ensuing day: 1. As a bounden sacri- 
fice of adoration, honor, and love ; 2. As a sacrifice of thanks- 
giving for benefits received ; 3. As a sacrifice of propitiation, 
in satisfaction for his own sins and those of others ; and finally, 
4. As a sacrifice of impetration, to obtain thereby for himself, 
and for all for whom he is bound to pray, new gifts and graces, 
through the merits of Jesus Christ, and by virtue of union with 
his works, from which alone ours derive their value and merit. 
We should also invoke the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints, 
that through their intercession we may persevere in our good 
intention, which we are in danger of destroying at any time by 
impatience or any sinful act, for a good intention cannot consist 
with sin. For this reason, it is most advisable to renew often 
during the day the good intention of the morning ; for exam- 
ple, at the striking of the clock, at commencing any new task, 
with such words as these, "For the love of thee, O Lord," 
" All things for the glory of God," " This I do with the inten- 
tion which I have this day made." Take pains also to instruct 
such as are ignorant how to make a good intention, for thereby 
you will participate in their good works, and increase your re- 
ward in heaven. 

Aspiration. 

Assist me, O God, that I may not labor in the night of sin, but 
to thy honor and my own salvation ; and assist also all pastors, 
superiors, and parents, that they may gain for thy kingdom 
those committed to their care. Amen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 471 



jFift!) Snnban after Pentecost. 

At the Introit of the Mass, with the priest implore God's 
asssistance, and say : Hear, Lord, my voice, with which I 
have cried to thee ; be thou my helper, forsake me not, nor do 
thou despise me, God, my Saviour (Ps. xxvi.) The Lord is 
my light and my salvation, whom shall Lfear f Glory be to 
the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who hast prepared invisible goods for them that love 
thee, infuse into our hearts the affection of thy love, that lov- 
ing thee in all things, and above all, we may obtain thy 
promises which surpass every desire. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (1 Peter iii. 8-15.) 

Dearly beloved : Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of 
another, being lovers of the brotherhood, merciful, modest, humble : 
not rendering evil for evil, nor railing for railing, but contrariwise, 
blessing : for unto this are you called, that you may inherit a blessing. 
" For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his 
tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Let him de- 
cline from evil, and do good : let him seek after peace, and pursue it : 
because the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto 
their prayers : but the countenance of the Lord upon them that do 
evil things." And who is he that can hurt you, if you be zealous of 
good? But if also you suffer any thing for justice sake, blessed are 
ye. And be not afraid of their fear, and be not troubled ; but sanc- 
tify the Lord Christ in your hearts. 

How may and ought we to sanctify the Lord Jesus in our 
hearts ? 

By faithfully imitating those virtues of his which St. Peter 
describes in this epistle ; for thereby we become his true and 
faithful disciples, honor him, sanctify ourselves and edify others, 
who by our good example are led to admire Christianity, and 
Christ its founder, and to become his followers. Hereby we 
make ourselves worthy of God's favor and protection, so that 



472 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

however persecuted, we have nothing to fear : for if God be 
for us, who can be against us ? 

Aspiration. 

O most amiable Jesus, grant me grace to remain steadfastly 
faithful to thee, and zealously to follow thee as thy true dis- 
ciple in all things, in fervent prayer, in compassion for my 
brethren, in modesty and humility, in patience and love to- 
wards my enemies, that thereby I may become worthy of thy 
protection. 

Gospel. (Matt. v. 20-24.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples : Amen, I tell you, unless 
your justice abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you 
shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it 
was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall 
kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you, that who- 
soever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. 
And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of 
the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger 
of hell-fire. If therefore thou offer thy gift at the altar, and there 
thou remember that thy brother hath any thing against thee, leave 
there thy offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy 
brother, and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift. 

In what did the justice of the Pharisees consist ? 

They were very pious in outward appearance, and avoided 
those vices which either caused temporal disgrace and injury, 
or required self-denial ; but, on the other hand, they were full 
of malice in their hearts, and this Christ often reproached them 
with, calling them hypocrites. 

What does it profit to pray for hours, to fast, to go often to 
confession and communion, to give alms out of vanity or 
hypocrisy, but not to avoid envy, hatred, malice, and slander, 
to commit acts of impurity, to oppress the poor, to neglect the 
obligations of our calling? 

In what does Christian justice consist ? 

In avoiding what is evil and doing what is good. We must, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 473 

therefore, not only avoid sinful deeds, private or public, but 
sinful thoughts and desires ; we must observe not only some, 
but all the commandments of God, always and everywhere, 
for God's sake, and out of love to him, as we must also for his 
sake love our neighbor in word and deed ; otherwise our good 
works are but the shell without the kernel. 

How are we to understand what Christ says about anger 
and using abusive words ? 

Among the Jews there were, from ,a very early period, two 
principal courts of justice : of these one was a court to be 
found in every city, composed of priests and heads of families ; 
the other, or high court, was composed of seventy-one mem- 
bers, and was held at Jerusalem, which dealt w 7 ith difficult 
cases and pronounced the more severe sentences. The mean- 
ing of Christ's words is, therefore, " You have heard from 
your teachers and doctors of the law, that whosoever shall kill 
shall be in danger of the judgment of men ; but I say to you, 
who think it no sin to be angry or envious, that whosoever is 
angry with his brother without cause, shall be in danger of the 
judgment of God. You have heard that whosoever calls his 
brother ' Raca,' that is, fool, shall be brought before the council 
and punished ; but I say to you, that God punishes w r ith hell- 
fire every grievous offence against your neighbor, as also the 
hatred and enmity of your heart towards him." 

(The greatest punishment among the Jews was burning in 
the valley of Gehenna, near Jerusalem, whence came the name 
Gehenna for hell.) 

Is anger, then, always a mortal sin ? 

No ; only w r hen one wishes, or actually inflicts on his neigh- 
bor some injury to his body, his reputation, or his property, or 
uses to him such slanderous language as to damage his good 
name, and at the same time to provoke and irritate him. The 
smaller the injuries, the lighter the sins. "Whoever becomes 
angry at the vices and excesses of others, either because it is 
his duty to watch over their morals, to punish and to correct 
(as for example, in the case with parents, teachers, and pastors), 
or because he is grieved at finding so many sins among his 
Christian brethren, not only does not sin, but does something 



474 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

praiseworthy; for Christ and his Apostles have shown such 
zeal. Tims was St. Paul angry at Elyrnas the sorcerer (Acts 
xiii. 8) ; St. Peter at the fraud of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 
v. 4) ; and Christ himself at the buying and selling in the temple. 
God himself is angry with the wicked (Wisdom xiv. 9). Anger, 
therefore, to be guiltless, must be a zeal for charity and justice, 
whereby our endeavors to correct the faults and sins of others, 
and not a passion of revenge whereby we endeavor to punish 
them and to obtain justice for ourselves. The same is true of 
rebukes, which can be given without sin, if they are not un- 
christian in themselves ; if they do not cause scandal ; and if 
they are given with charitable zeal to punish and correct, by 
those who have the proper authority for that purpose. Thus 
Christ has called his disciples " foolish" (Luke xxiv. 25). St. 
Paul called the Galatians senseless (Gal. Hi. 1). But if spoken 
without justice and charity, such words would not be free from 
sin ; the greatness of which would depend upon the person 
who is rebuked, the intention with which it is done, and the 
rebuke itself. 

For the rest, it is always better for men, according to the 
advice of St. Francis of Sales, to refrain from all passion and 
anger, and in punishing others, to proceed with the earnestness 
of love rather than of indignation, since anger is seldom free 
from sin, and by charity and kindness one can accomplish more 
than by anger and violence ; for how can one who is often like 
a wild beast from anger, correct others, so long as he is not 
able to restrain himself. Therefore the wise man says, Be not 
as a lion in thy house, terrifying them of thy household, and 
oppressing them that are u-nder thee (Ecclus. iv. 35). From 
harsh severity there will come only evil, on which account the 
punishments that it is sometimes necessary to inflict must be 
divested of bitterness by the love with which they are admin 
istered, that they may be the better received, and may pro- 
duce the desired amendment. 

Why must one first be reconciled to his brother before he 
offers his gift at the altar, or undertakes any good work? 

Because no offering, or other good work, can be pleasing to 
God so long as we are living in enmity, hatred, and strife with 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 475 

our neighbor, and thereby going directly against his will and 
example. This should be well marked by snch Christians as 
go to confession and communion without forgiving those who 
have injured them, and without asking pardon of those whom 
they have injured. They should know that instead of receiv- 
ing absolution of their sins, they contract a new sin by an un- 
worthy confession, and in the holy communion eat their own 
condemnation. The same is true of those who hear mass with 
hearts full of hatred and revenge. How can God accept their 
offerings and hear their prayers ? 

How shall we be reconciled with our enemies ? 

1. Not only with the lips but from the heart, and with sin- 
cerity. 2. With promptness, since reconciliation becomes 
more difficult by delay, as rust is the harder to remove the 
deeper it has eaten in ; at least it should be done, if possible, 
before bringing our offering, and before receiving the holy 
sacrament. It is in remembrance of this obligation that the 
assistants at the altar, before communion at holy mass, em- 
brace each other, and give the salutation of peace, or kiss the 
paten or a reliquary. In early times it was the custom for the 
men to give each other the kiss of peace, while the women did 
the same, before receiving holy communion. Is he absent w T hom 
you have wronged, says St. Augustine, so that you cannot easily 
reach him ? humble yourself then before God, and ask his par- 
don before you offer your gift, with a firm resolution to be 
reconciled with your enemy as soon as possible. 3. For the 
love of God, which alone sanctifies all things. 4. With con- 
stancy ; for how otherwise could your reconciliation be from 
the heart, and after the example of Jesus ? 

It remains to be observed, that if it should be beyond our 
power entirely to expel a feeling of repugnance, this will not 
be imputed to us as a sin, so long as we do not consent to it, 
but strive to overcome it. 

Aspiration. 
O God, remove from me all Pharisaical blindness, that I may 
serve thee not only outwardly, but inwardly from the heart. 
Banish, therefore, from my heart all sinful anger, and give me 



476 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

a loving zeal for thy honor and the salvation of my neighbor, 
together with the grace to be quickly, and from the heart, 
reconciled to those who injure me. 

Remedies for Anger. 

1. The first and best means to overcome anger is humility; 
for as among the proud there are always quarrels and conten- 
tions, so on the other hand the humble are always quiet, gentle, 
and patient. 2. But to become thus humble, gentle, and pa- 
tient, one must often consider the example of Christ, who, 
though he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth 
(1 Pet. ii. 22), yet endured so many contradictions, persecu- 
tions, and insults, without reviling again when reviled himself, 
and without threatening vengeance to any one for all he suf- 
fered. With reason, therefore, he says to us, Learn of me, 
because I am meek and humble of heart (Matt. xi. 29). How 
unbecoming, therefore, is it for Christians who desire to be, 
and who must be the disciples of this meek Master, to be angry 
and revengeful, and to rage like furious lions, when they have 
been nourished with the flesh and blood of this Lamb of God ; 
to refuse to suffer any thing patiently, when through their sins 
they have contracted so much guilt, and when by enduring 
adversities patiently, they might so easily make amends for 
some of their own offences. 3. An excellent preventive to 
anger is, to think over in the morning what causes will be 
likely to draw us into anger at any time during the day, and 
to guard ourselves against them beforehand, by a firm resolu- 
tion to bear every thing patiently for the love of God ; and 
then, when any thing vexatious occurs and excites our anger, 
to say and do nothing so long as the anger lasts, but to busy 
ourselves with these and such like thoughts : " How am I sin- 
ning by my anger, and what can I accomplish by it ? Can I 
thereby make things better ? Do I not rather make myself 
ridiculous, and injure my health ?" For it is established, both 
by experience and by Holy Scripture, that anger shortens a 
mart's days (Ecclus. xxx. 2G), and kitteth the foolish (Job v. 2). 
4. Anger itself may serve as an antidote to anger and to other 
passions, if we follow the advice of St. Gregory of Nazianzen, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 477 

who says, « Nature has given us anger as a virtue, and not as a 
vice;" we must therefore be angry at our anger, our excess 
our indolence, and the like vices. This will be a holy anger 
by means of which we shall overcome ourselves, and obtain' 
that quiet and security of mind which is compared with a con- 
tinua feast (Prov. xv. 15). 5. The most necessary means to 
banish anger is zealous prayer to God for the gifts of meekness 
and patience ; for though it is naturally difficult, and even im- 
possible for us to be patient, yet with God's grace it becomes 
not merely possible, but even easy. 

Of the Daily Sacrifice of Christians. 
" Then come and offer thy gift."— Matt. v. 24. 

The Jews, according to the requirement of their law, offered 
sacrifice twice a day to God, partly to acknowledge and adore 
his majesty, partly to render him thanks, to implore his for- 
giveness, and to supplicate for new gifts and graces. Instead 
of this sacrifice of animals and fruits of the earth, we Christians 
have a sacrifice infinitely more worthy, and more pleasW to 
God-Jesus Christ himself; who is daily, in an unbloody man- 
n f' m s™^ P lace > offei ' e <* to God by the hands of the priests 
of his Church, as the most acceptable and sweetest odor- and 
m this sacrifice, all others, as figures and types, find their ful- 
fillment. But if the Jews were obliged, if possible, to attend 
at their morning and evening sacrifice, how much more ready 
should Christians be to attend daily the Holy Sacrifice of the 
Mass, thereby to adore and give thanks to God ? Does not 
every one of us need continually God's blessing and protection 
against so many dangers; and where is greater grace dis- 
pensed than here ? Let every one then make the effort to be 
present at the daily sacrifice, and he will find that it is not 
only practicable, but in the highest degree beneficial. Let him 
who is detained by hindrances that he cannot overcome say 
his morning and evening prayers, and offer up himself, and all 
that is his, to God, in union with those that are present at the 
Holy Sacrifice, and he shall not lack God's blessing 



478 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Sixth) Sunbag after JJentecost. 

On this Sunday the Church exhorts Christians to perse- 
verance in good works, by pointing them to God, the All Mer- 
ciful. The Introit of the Mass is therefore the prayer of a soul 
that confides in the powerful and benign protection of God. 
The Lord is the strength of his people, the protector of the sal- 
vation of his anointed. Save, O Lord, thy people, and bless 
thy inheritance, and rule them forever (Ps. xxvii.) Unto thee 
will I cry, O my God: be not thou silent to me, lest 1 become 
like unto them that go down into the pit. Glory be to the 
Father. 

Prayer. 

O God of hosts, to whom belongeth all that is best, infuse 
into our breasts the love of thy name, and grant within us an 
increase of devotion, that thou mayest nourish what is good, 
and by the pursuit of piety, preserve what thou hast nourished. 
Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Rom. vi. 3-11.) 

Brethren : We all, who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in 
his death. For we are buried together with him by baptism unto 
death : that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the 
Father, so we also may walk in newness of life. For if we have been 
planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the 
likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is cru- 
cified with him, that the body of sin may be destroyed, and that we 
may serve sin no longer. For he that is dead is justified from sin. 
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also to- 
gether with Christ: knowing that Christ, rising again from the dead, 
dieth no more, death shall no more have dominion over him. For in 
that he died to sin, he died once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto 
God. So do you also reckon that you are dead indeed to sin, but 
alive unto God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 

Explanation. 

In this lesson the Apostle teaches us that, in consequence of 
our baptism, we are bound to lead a holy life, conformed to 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 479 

the pattern of Christ's. For through baptism we become mem- 
bers of his mystical body, and accordingly what was accom- 
plished in him actually, must also take place in us spiritually. 
As Jesus died for our sins, was buried, rose again, and ascended 
into heaven, so also must we die to sin and all sensual inclina- 
tions — must, with him, crucify the old man, our corrupt nature, 
by self-denial ; and as he, once risen, died no more, but now 
lives and reigns forever, so also must we, once risen from sin, 
live henceforth to God, a new, holy life, conformed to that of 
Christ. 

Aspiration. 

Lord Jesus, I thank thee, that through the merits of thy 
bitter passion I have risen from the death of sin ; grant me 
grace, that as thou diest no more, so I may no more die spiritu- 
ally, through sin. Amen. 

Gospel. (Mark viii. 1- 9.) 

At that time : When there was a great multitude with Jesus, and 
they had nothing to eat, calling his disciples together, he saith to 
them : I have compassion on the multitude, for behold they have now 
been with me three days, and have nothing to eat. And if I shall 
send them away fasting to their home, they will faint in the way, for 
some of them came from afar off. And his disciples answered him : 
From whence can any one fill them here with bread, in the wilder- 
ness? And he asked them: How many loaves have ye? who said : 
Seven. And taking the seven loaves, giving thanks, he broke, and 
gave to his disciples to set before them, and they set them before the 
people. And they had a few little fishes, and he blessed them, and 
commanded them to be set before them. And they did eat, and were 
filled, and they took up that which was left of the fragments, seven 
baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand : and he 
sent them away. 

Why did Jesus say, I have compassion on the multitude, &c? 

To confirm by acts what he had previously, through St. 
Matthew (Matt. vi. 33) taught in words, namely, that to them 
who seek first the kingdom of God, and his justice, all other 
things shall be added, without asking ; and to show us, at the 
came time, the greatness of God's love, which takes account of 



480 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

every hour spent in his service, and compassionates every want 
of man. The multitude were not solicitous for food, and had 
not even asked it from him, and yet he cared for them. 

Instruction on the Blessings and Benedictions used in the 

Catholic Church. 

" He blessed them." — Marie viii. 1. 

What are these blessings and benedictions ? 

Blessings are prayers, by which the Church prays God, 
through the merits of Jesus, and the intercession of the saints, 
either to grant to some person all that is good for soul and 
body, to deliver him from the influence of Satan, to grant him 
forgiveness of venial sins, and remission of deserved punish- 
ment, or else to impart his blessing to the use of certain 
creatures, that they may be profitable both for soul and body, 
to them who use them in humble faith. In this way are 
blessed, not only persons, but fruits, bread, wine, salt, houses, 
vessels, fields, water, candles, &c. 

There are also certain blessings by which, through the pray 
ers of the Church, certain things necessary for the divine ser- 
vice are set apart from others employed in worldly uses, and 
consecrated, as, for example, churches, altars, bells, church 
vestments, &c. 

When and how did these blessings originate ? 

They are very old customs, sanctified by God himself, in the 
old and in the new law. Thus God blessed his creatures, and 
mankind in particular (Gen. i. 22-28; ix. l). He commanded 
the priests of the old law to bless the people of Israel, promis- 
ing to confirm their blessing with his own (Numb. vi. 23), and 
directed the blessing of all things required for the divine serv- 
ice (Deut. viii.) In the same manner Christ blessed the loaves 
and the fishes (Matt. xiv. 19; Mark viii. 6, 7; John vi. 11), 
feeding therewith the multitude. At the last supper he blessed 
bread and wine, changing it into his flesh and blood ; and 
finally, he blessed his disciples before he ascended into heaven 
(Luke xxiv. 51). Following the example and the command of 
God, the Church, which was prefigured in the synagogue, also 
introduced blessings and benedictions. From the account 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 481 

above given, as well as from the origin of these rites, it is 
plaio that they are no more superstitious than prayer in gen- 
eral, and that one cannot make light of them without thereby 
making light of God, who has given us the example of using 
them, and who has also endowed his Church with all au- 
thority. 

What virtue have these blessings, &c. ? 

A peculiar, supernatural, and great virtue : for as God has 
promised to hear the prayer of every person who prays to him 
in the name of Jesus (St. John xiv. 14), why should he not 
hear the prayers of his Church ? Blessings and benedictions, 
therefore, it is certain, have a peculiar supernatural virtue, and 
together with objects that have been blessed, work for the 
good of soul and body, so long as we oppose no hindrance to 
their operation, but employ them with suitable preparation ; 
that is, with pure hearts, with faith and confidence, and finally, 
with submission to the will of God, and according to the inten- 
tion of the Church. For whatever our design in the use of 
things blessed, we must take care to add, according to the ex- 
ample of Jesus on Mount Olivet, " If such be the will of God, 
if it be for God's glory and my salvation." What is against 
his will is against our salvation also : for our salvation is what 
lie desires (Ezech. xxiii. 11). Assistance in temporal things, 
therefore, might really be no assistance at all, so far as our 
eternal welfare is concerned, according to the Avell-known 
language of Christ. What doth it ijrofit a man if he gain the 
ichole icorld and suffer the loss of his oxen soul? (Matt. xvi. 
26.) Are some of our prayers, seemingly, not heard ? They 
will not be useless. The sick, in usino- things blessed as a 
means of recovery, is often not restored to health, but he ob- 
tains the graces of patience and inward consolation in his suf- 
ferings, and thus receives the goods of the soul while he Avas 
seeking those of the body. 

Why are salt and water blessed ? 

1. To expel our adversary, Satan, and to frustrate his de- 
signs and attacks. 2. For the welfare of soul and body. 
3. Holy water, if used with contrition and devotion, washes 
away venial sin. Say, therefore, in using it : Thou shalt sprinkle 
21 



482 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

me with hyssop, O Lord, and I shall be cleansed : thou shalt 
wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow (Ps. 1. 9). 

Why does the priest sprinkle the people with holy water, on 
Sundays, before the divine service ? 

The reason for it lies in the signification and virtue of holy 
water. The sprinkling in the Church is done: 1. To point out 
to the people the inward purity with which they should ap- 
pear before God, and fulfil the duties of their vocation, and to 
admonish them to cleanse themselves from the stains of sin, by 
the tears of penance; the priest, therefore, in the act of 
sprinkling, says the words of the 50th Psalm, Thou shall 
sprinkle me, <fec. 2. To remind them to preserve the purity 
and innocence procured for them by the blood of the Lamb of 
God, and communicated to them in baptism. 3. To repel the 
temptations of the devil during the divine service, and during 
our daily labors and sorrows. 4. Finally, to impart to the 
faithful the blessing of God, and to keep them from all evils of 
soul and body. The same remarks apply to the sprinkling of 
holy water at entering and leaving our dwellings. 

During Easter, instead of the Asperges — Thou shalt sprinkle 
me, we sing the Vidi Aquam — I saw water coming from the 
temple on the right side, allelujah, and all those to whom this 
water came were saved, and shall say allelujah. For Holy 
Church presumes that during Lent we have in sincerity re- 
turned to God, and accordingly have reason to rejoice over our 
spiritual resurrection, rather than to be afflicted by penance. 

Is the sprinkling with holy water an innovation ? 

No ; for St. Matthew, the Apostle, blessed water and re- 
stored a dead person to life. The Holy Pope Alexander, the 
sixth in succession after St. Peter, writes : " We bless salt and 
water for the people, that all who may be sprinkled therewith 
may be cleansed and sanctified." St. Basil writes to the same 
effect. Holy water has also its types in holy Scripture (Numb. 
ix. 21), where God commands water to be mixed with the 
ashes of a calf, for sprinkling and purifying the unclean. The 
like virtue was in the salt with which Eliseus healed the un- 
wholesome waters, and fertilized the barren land of Jericho 
(4 Kings ii. 20, 21) — a type of blessed salt. 



THE EPISTLES AXD GOSPELS. 4S3 

On the Blessing of Bells. 

Bells were prefigured in the old law, when Moses received 
from God the command to have two silver trumpets made, 
which were to be sounded at the departure of the people into 
the desert, at their assembling for divine service, when they 
were to prepare for battle, and to announce the great festivals. 
The priests alone were to sound them. In the first ages of 
Christianity the hours of divine service, on account of perse- 
cutions, were made known to the Christians by the deacons. 
Bells were first used in the seventh century. 

What is the significance of bells ? 

They signify the preaching of the Gospel, the sound of which 
goes forth unto all the earth (Ps. xviii. 5). 

What are the uses of bells ? 

They call the faithful together for the public divine service, 
announce on the vigils the great feasts that are at hand, add 
to the solemnities of feasts and professions, publish the fortune 
or misfortune of the congregation, as in case of death, that 
the faithful may remember their own end, soon perhaps to take 
place, and may pray for the souls of the departed. 

In cases of fire they are tolled, because charity demands the 
calling of the people for assistance. 

What are the ceremonies at the blessing of the bells ? 

1. They are first washed, outside and inside, with holy water, 
while some psalms are sung. Hereby the Church reminds us 
of the purity received in baptism, and admonishes us that as 
the inanimate sound which is to declare the praise of God 
must come only from a consecrated bell, so we must appear 
before God only with pure hearts. 

Xext, the bishop, or, with his permission, the officiating 
priest, anoints the bell with holy oil, which signifies the strength 
of the Holy Ghost, and with chrism, which is an emblem of 
the merits of Christ, while the Church entreats that God will 
be pleased, through the merits of his Son, at the sound of 
these bells, to restrain the power of the devil, to disperse 
thunder-storms, to banish from the hearts of the faithful the 
spirit of indolence, and to mitigate the pains of the souls 



484 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

in purgatory, when besought thereto by the prayers of his 
people. 

The bell is then anointed with holy oil seven times on the 
outside, and four times on the inside with chrism. The seven- 
fold unction on the outside refers perhaps to the seven hours 
of prayer; the four unctions on the inside, indicate that the 
sound of the bell is to go forth to the four parts of the world, 
to remind men of God. 

The incensing of the bell signifies that our prayers and the 
sweet odor of a holy life should ascend, like incense, to the 
throne of God. The name of some saint is here given to the 
bell, to distinguish it from others, and to remind us by its 
sound to prepare for the divine service, as if we were called 
by the saint himself. From this circumstance, the blessing of 
bells is sometimes also called their baptism ; but no one could 
be so ignorant as to suppose that a sacrament was therein ad- 
ministered, and the sponsors, as they are called, are only wit- 
nesses of the ceremony. 

Finally, the deacon reads the gospel which treats of Martha 
receiving Jesus into her house, and entertaining him there, 
while Mary sat at his feet, to hear his words. Thereby we 
are taught to hear cheerfully the word of God in the church, 
to which we are invited by the sound of the bell. During the 
tolling of the bell say, " Lord, let the doctrine of thy gospel 
go forth into the whole world. Let me hear in my heart the 
voice which calls me to thy service, and let me follow thee?'' 



%txszwx\\ Sitnban after Jjkntecost. 

At the Introit of the Mass the Church invites us to the 
praise of God, in the words of the 46th Psalm : clap your 
hands, all ye nations, shout unto God with the voice of joy / 
for the Lord is most high, he is terrible : he is a great king 
over all the earth. Glory be to the Father. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 485 



Prayer. 

O God, whose providence is not deceived in its appointment, 
we humbly beseech thee to remove from us all that is hurtful, 
and grant us all that will prove profitable. Through Christ, 
our Lord. Amen. 



Epistle. (Rom. vi. 19-23.) 

Brethren : I speak a human thing, because of the infirmity of your 
flesh. For as you have yielded your members to serve un cleanness 
and iniquity, unto iniquity ; so now yield your members to serve jus- 
tice, unto sanctification. For when you were the servants of sin, 
you were free from justice. What fruit therefore had you then in 
those things, of which you are now ashamed? For the end of them 
is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to 
God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end life ever- 
lasting. For the wages of sin is death ; but the grace of God, life 
everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord. 



Explanation. 

In these words St. Paul admonishes the Romans that they 
ought henceforward to devote themselves as zealously to the 
service of God, as they had hitherto done to that of iniquity, 
because the service of sin is death, but the service of God is 
life everlasting. The words, "servants, to serve," denote the 
full and unconditional subjection of the Christian to God, 
without walking any longer according to his own will, just as, 
in regard to the state of sin, they indicate the dominion of the 
passions over the sinner. There is no requirement more reason- 
able, than that a man should labor as much for God and his 
own salvation, as he has labored for sin and hell. We should, 
therefore, often think on the wages of sin — eternal death; and 
when we are tempted, ask ourselves, "What shall I gain by 
my lust, my injustice, my vengeance ? Ah, nothing but eternal 
death ! And shall I, created to inherit eternal life, shall I 
make myself the heir of eternal death ?" 



486 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



Gospel (Matt. vii. 15-21.) 

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples : Beware of false prophets, 
who come to you ia the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are 
ravening wolves. By their fruits you shall know them. Do men 
gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles ? Even so every good tree 
bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree 
bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, 
shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire. Wherefore by their 
fruits you shall know them. Not every man that saith to me, Lord, 
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the 
will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom 
of heaven. 

Who are meant by " false prophets ?" 

All those who endeavor to spread heresy and immorality 
among their Christian brethren. 

Why does Jesus add, " Who came to you in the clothing of 
sheep ?" 

It is either an allusion to the custom of the Pharisees, who 
dressed themselves like the prophets, or it is, perhaps, a pro- 
verbial expression. All those thus come in the clothing of 
sheep who not unfrequently announce themselves by their 
works of charity and benevolence, and by their liberality of 
opinions, while in their hearts they deny the divinity of 
Jesus Christ, mock at the holy mysteries, and ridicule the 
ceremonies of the Church. They promise enlightenment, 
liberty of the spirit, deliverance from prejudices and supersti- 
tions, concealing under the honey of their language the poison 
of sin, covering the most infamous actions with the pretence 
of spiritual love and lawful pleasure, and having continually 
in their mouths the sweetest expressions concerning the infinite 
goodness of God, while they deny his immutable justice and 
the existence of eternal punishments, destroying thus many 
harmless and simple souls. 

By what may we know false prophets? 

By their fruits ; that is, by their works and lives. Those 
teachers whose works are good we may trust, if their teaching 



THE EPISTLES ANT) GOSPELS. 487 

be in conformity with that of the Church. But those whose 
lives show opposition to the requirements of the Gospel, by 
impurity, by enmity, by disobedience and indifference to the 
Church and her laws, by heresy, by intemperance, or such like 
evil fruits, we must take heed not to believe, for to expect the 
word of salvation to come from their mouths, would be to seek 
for grapes on a bramble-bush. 

What other false prophets are we to beware of? 

1. TJie world, which promises us honors and riches, but at 
the end rewards all our toil and labor only with disgrace and 
scorn. 2. The flesh, which promises pleasures and joys, but 
leaves a man at last nothing but the bitter reproaches of an 
unquiet conscience. 3. The devil, who promises to man a long 
life, and time enough for repentance, while the obdurate sin- 
ner is cut off suddenly in the midst of his days. 4. All such 
evil-minded persons as conceal their wicked purposes under 
the mask of virtue and honesty, until they have entrapped un- 
wary souls, and drawn them into all kinds of shameful mis- 
deeds. It is these false prophets of Satan, and wolves of hell, 
that make the greatest havoc in the flock of Christ. 

Why does Christ say, Do men gather grapes of thorns f 

To show that the hypocrite cannot possibly bring forth good 
works, since virtue consists not merely in outward actions, but 
in the conformity of the will to the law. Hypocrites may con- 
ceal their character for a time, but at last they betray them- 
selves, and show what they really are. 

Why does Christ say, Every tree that bringeth not forth 
good fruit, shall be cut down and east into tJie fire P 

He thereby warns us that faith alone, without good works, 
or, in other words, the mere desire for heaven without the 
practice of virtue, will not save us. Christ says plainly, JVot 
every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the 
kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, 
icho is in heaven. Jesus also saith (Matt. xii. 50), Whosoever 
shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my 
brother, and sister, and mother. Endeavor, therefore, O Chris- 
tian, to fulfil in all things the will of God, and secure thy sal- 
vation by the exercise of good works. 



488 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Instruction on Good Works. 

What are good works ? 

All actions of men which are done according to the will of 
God, from love to him, in the state of grace, and by the help 
of the same. 

Which are the chief of these ? 

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Prayer, including all 
acts belonging to the service of God ; fasting, all mortifica- 
tions of the body ; almsgiving, all works of mercy. 

Of how many sorts are the works of mercy ? 

Of two : corporal and spiritual. 

What are spiritual works of mercy ? 

Those which have for their object the salvation of our neigh 
bor ; as, 1. To admonish those in sin ; 2. To instruct the igno- 
rant ; 3. To give counsel to those in doubt ; 4. To pray for the 
living and the dead ; 5. To comfort the afflicted ; 6. To bear 
wrongs patiently ; 7. To forgive injuries and offences. 

What are the corporal works of mercy ? 

1. To feed the hungry; 2. To give drink to the thirsty; 
3. To clothe the naked ; 4. To visit the prisoners ; 5. To visit 
the sick ; 6. To shelter the houseless ; 7. To bury the dead 
(Matt. xxv. 42, 43). 

What is necessary to render works meritorious ? 

1. They must be good in themselves ; 2. They must be done 
with the grace of God ; 3. In the state of grace ; 4. With free 
will ; 5. With the good intention of pleasing God. 

Can we be saved without good works ? 

No ; for Christ says expressly, Every tree that bringeth not 
forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the 
fire. And that servant in the Gospel (Matt. xxv. 25), who 
neither wasted his talent nor yet traded with it, but digged 
into the earth and hid his Lord's money, was therefore cast 
into the outer darkness. How greatly, therefore, do not they 
err, who hope to reach heaven merely by not doing any evil ? 
Of this dangerous mistake St. Chrysostom very justly says, 
44 If you had a servant who was no robber, no glutton, no 
drunkard, but who was constantly idle, and neglected every 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 489 

thing that you required him to do, would you not drive him 
from your house ?" Is it not then evil enough, to omit doing 
what we are bound to do ? Like such an one is that Christian, 
who, doing neither good nor evil, makes himself thereby unfit 
for heaven ; for heaven is a reward for labor done. He who 
labors not has no reward to expect. 

On the Reading of Bad Books. 

What we read exerts a powerful influence on the mind and 
heart. Just as little as it is a matter of indifference how one 
thinks and acts, is it a matter of indifference what one reads : 
indeed, the reading of bad books is simply corrupting. 

But what is, in this case, bad or good ? 

Good books and writings are such as agree with the truths 
of Christianity, and the doctrines of the Church, defending 
them, explaining them, and pointing out how they are to be 
applied in life. Bad books are all such as have the opposite 
tendency ; which, whether openly or covertly, deny Chris- 
tianity ; make out all religions to be alike good ; ridicule and 
misrepresent the Catholic Church, her clergy, her institutions, 
her ceremonies ; set aside the sacraments as unnecessary ; call 
the commandments of the Church, inventions of men ; stimu- 
late evil desires, and describe vices as virtues, or at least as 
light faults. Writings of this character, every Christian should 
conscientiously avoid. For, 1. As it is the bounden duty of a 
Christian to shun what is evil, and the very opportunities and 
risks of evil, so it is also his duty to shun bad books, and such 
like publications. 2. By purchasing such works he would 
directly encourage the writing of them, and assist in giving 
them circulation. But if they were not read, they would soon 
cease to appear. 3. The reading of bad books never takes 
place without scandal to one's family or neighbors, who per- 
ceive it, and frequently are thereby induced to do the same. 
In this way, one becomes a promoter and partaker of all the 
evil which grows out of his own practice. 4. One who reads 
bad books, if not already corrupted, is at heart, in a fair way 
to become so. He cannot be good while he reads with avidity 

2L« 



490 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

what is evil,- and laughs over wickedness. None but a carrion- 
bird feeds on carcasses. It is useless to say, one reads only to 
improve himself. A grave remains a grave, however beautified. 
If one desires to cultivate his mind, let him read good books, 
of which there is no lack. In reading bad books, something 
always sticks in the memory, and in the end one will laugh 
over what at first would only have made him indignant. Thou- 
sands have in this way become corrupt, unbelieving, and im- 
moral. 5. The Church has always uniformly forbidden the 
reading of such writings. Read the Acts of the Apostles. Is 
not that the way that the good Christian should always think 
and act ? Ought he not always to be obedient to the Church ? 
Every one, therefore, to whom faith, virtue, his soul's salva- 
tion, his Church, are dear, will shun : 1. The buying and read- 
ing of bad books. In particular, pastors, heads of families, 
tutors, and instructors, should be watchful to preserve those 
confided to their care from this infection ; and, to this end, 
should neither buy nor read dangerous publications themselves, 
nor suffer them to be bought or read by those under their 
charge. 2. He will also resolve firmly not to read anything 
which is not either approved by the Church, or at least ap- 
proved by pious and experienced confessors. 3. He will take 
pains, so far as lies in his power, to prevail upon others to over- 
come that pernicious craving for reading which delights in 
debasing and corrupt books, and to read only what is good, 
edifying, and instructive. 

Aspiration. 

Preserve me, O Lord, from error and seduction. Grant me 
thy grace, that according to the teachings of St. Paul, I may 
bring forth the fruits of the Spirit. Inflame my heart that I 
may show my faith by my good works, and that fulfilling the will 
of my Heavenly Father, I may make myself worthy of heaven. 
Amen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 491 



Qrijgtj thj Smtbas after Jkntecost 

At the Introit of the Mass, with the Church, praise God, 
whose mercy and justice extend to the ends of the world. 
JVe have received thy mercy, God, in the midst of thy 
temple. According to thy name, O God, so also is thy praise 
unto the ends of the earth / thy right hand is full of justice. 
(Ps. xlvii.) Great is the Lord and exceedingly to be praised, 
in the city of our God, in his holy mountain. 

Prayer. 

Grant ns, we beseech thee, O Lord, at all times, the spirit of 
thinking and doing what is right, that we who cannot exist 
without thee, may be able to live according to thee. Through 

Christ. 

Epistle. (Rom. viii. 12-17.) 

Brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live according to the 
flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you shall die. But if 
by the spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live. For 
whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 
For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear : but 
you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry, 
Abba (Father). For the Spirit himself giveth testimony to our spirit, 
that we are the sons of God. And if sons, heirs also : heirs indeed 
of God, and joint heirs with Christ. 

Who are they that live according to the flesh ? 

They who follow the voice of sensuality, rather than that of 
faith and conscience, and who practice such vices as St. Paul 
enumerates in his Epistle to the Galatians. Now the works of 
the flesh are, fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, 
idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, emidations, wraths, 
quarrels, dissensions, sects, envies, murders, drunkenness, revel- 
lings, and such like. 

Such men are not guided by the spirit of God, for he re- 
mains not in a sensual man (Gen. vi. 3). They are not chil- 
dren of God, and will inherit, not heaven, but eternal death. 



492 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Examine yourself, therefore, whether you are not living ac- 
cording to the flesh, and, for the future, mortify fleshly and 
sensual lusts by prayer and fasting. Resist sinful desires, with 
God's assistance, and you will gain a crown in heaven. 

Aspiration. 

Grant me, O Lord, thy spirit, that I may always remember 
the happiness of thy kingdom, may mortify the lusts of the 
flesh, and may walk as thy child, in holy chastity. 

Gospel. (Luke xvi. 1-9.) 

At that time, Jesus spoke to his disciples this parable : There was 
a certain rich man who had a steward : and the same was accused 
unto him, that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and 
said to him : How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy 
stewardship: for now thou canst be steward no longer. And the 
steward said within himself: What shall I do, because my lord taketh 
away from me the stewardship ? To dig I am not able, to beg I am 
ashamed. I know what I will do, that when I shall be removed 
from the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. There- 
fore calling together every one of his lord's debtors, he said to the 
first : How much dost thou owe my lord ? But he said : An hundred 
barrels of oil. And he said to him: Take thy bill and sit down 
quickly, and write fifty. Then he said to another : And how much 
dost thou owe? Who said: An hundred quarters of wheat. He said 
to him : take thy bill, and write eighty. And the lord commended 
the unjust steward, forasmuch as he had done wisely: for the chil- 
dren of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of 
light. And I say to you : Make unto you friends of the mammon of 
iniquity, that when you shall fail they may receive you into everlast- 
ing dwellings. 

Who are meant by the rich man and his steward ? 

The rich man is God, the steward is man ; the goods in- 
trusted to the steward are the different goods and gifts of soul 
and body, of nature and of grace. 

Why did Christ use this parable ? 

To teach us that God requires of every man a strict account 
of whatever has been given to him, whether more or less, to 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 493 

encourage us to be liberal to the poor, and to warn us against 
dissipation and injustice. 

What do these vices lead to ? 

They carry a man on from one sin to another, as they led this 
unjust steward to forgery and perjury. The like often hap- 
pens with men who culpably incur debt upon debt, and then 
endeavor to extricate themselves by fraud and dishonesty, con- 
veying their property to others, and robbing their creditors ; 
by which course both they and their confederates become 
bound to make restitution, particularly if they have sworn 
falsely. 

Why did the rich man praise the steward ? 

He praised not the injustice, but the prudence of the man. 
The lesson to us from this is, if the wicked are so prudent in 
regard to their temporal affairs, how much more careful and 
prudent should Christians be in regard to their eternal hap- 
piness. 

How are we to understand the direction, to make unto us 
friends of the mammon of iniquity ? 

Riches are called the mammon of iniquity because they so 
easily lead us to injustice, avarice, excess, and dissipation. 
Jesus, then, intended thereby to say, that we should, accord- 
ing to our ability, employ in doing good those worldly goods 
which so easily carry us into sin. But he is not to be under- 
stood as saying that we should steal, or cheat, or use goods 
otherwise unjustly obtained, to give alms. 

What friends are we thus to make ? 

The good works which render us pleasing to God, and open 
to us heaven ; the poor, the saints of God, the angels who re- 
joice in our benevolence, and become our intercessors, and 
finally Christ, who regards what is given to the poor as so 
much given to himself (Matt. xxv. 40). The hands of the 
poor, says St. Chrysostom, are the hands of Christ; through 
them we send our goods to heaven beforehand, and through 
their intercession we obtain the grace of salvation. 



494 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Aspiration, 

Grant me, O most just God and Judge, grace so to use the 
goods intrusted to me on earth, that with them I may make 
myself friends to receive me, at the end of my life, into ever- 
lasting habitations. 

Practical Instruction against /Slander. 

" And the same was accused unto him." — Luke xvi. 1. 

The steward in the Gospel was justly accused to his master, 
whose goods he had wasted. But such accusations are not al- 
ways occasioned by injustice and wrong ; for how many are 
there who, without any fault of theirs, find themselves brought, 
by slanderous tongues, into evil report ! their honor and good 
name destroyed ! What evil slanderous tongues cause ! How 
common this vice is ! How little is thought of it ! and how 
difficult is it to repair the injuries it inflicts! 

When do we become guilty of slander ? 

1. When we report, in regard to the living or the dead, 
vices which did not truly belong to them ; or when we mag- 
nify faults which they actually were guilty of. 2. When we 
make known to others a sin committed privately on the part 
of our neighbor, and not previously known ; doing this with 
the intention of injuring him, and without being bound to re- 
veal it. 3. When we impute a bad motive to our neighbor's 
acts ; 4, and deny or lessen their good deeds and qualities. 
5. When we keep silence, or speak ambiguously of our neigh- 
bor in cases where we ought to praise him. 

Is slander a great sin, and why ? 

Slander is, in itself, contrary to all Christian charity, and 
therefore, even in the lightest instances, violates the first and 
weightiest of the commandments. But when the occasion is 
important, and the slander is deliberately uttered, with an evil 
will, when one's neighbor is thereby grievously injured, and 
his good name damaged, every one may see for himself how 
great and detestable, in such a case, this sin is. Such an act : 

1. Violates that weighty commandment, to love one's neighbor. 

2. It robs him of a possession more valuable than gold and 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 495 

riches (Prov. xxii. 1); takes from the person slandered the 
ability of doing good ; for instance, of admonishing his inferi- 
ors with effect, deprives him of the confidence of his fellow- 
men, and by consequence, of the opportunity to earn his bread, 
and may, perhaps, be the occasion of both his temporal and 
eternal ruin. 3. It is the cause of innumerable 'calumnies and 
sins, of which the slanderer must bear the burden. 4. The in- 
jury thereby done can only with great difficulty, or perhaps 
never be repaired, no more than one can recall the stone 
which he threw from his hand, little thinking of the harm he 
was doing. Thus violating, at one time, both charity and jus- 
tice, slander excludes from the kingdom of God (l Cor. vi. 10). 

Would that this were thought of by such as make it their 
business to repeat detraction and calumny of their temporal 
and spiritual superiors. 

Is it then always a sin to disclose the faults of our neighbor ? 

To make public the faults and sins of our neighbor uselessly, 
and merely for the entertainment of idle persons, is always sin 
ful. But if, after trying in vain to correct his faults and sins 
by brotherly admonition, we make them known to his parents 
or superiors, for his punishment and amendment, so far is this 
from being a sin, that it is rather a good work and a duty of 
Christian charity; indeed one would sin grievously by not 
giving the information which might easily put a stop to sin, 
and save the author of it, and those belonging to him, from 
great unhappiness. 

Is it a sin also to listen willingly to slanderers ? 

Yes ; for thereby we furnish the slanderer an occasion of 
slandering, and give him encouragement. For which reason 
St. Bernard says : " Whether to slander be a greater sin than 
to listen to slander, I will not lightly decide." In such cases as 
where impure and scurrilous language is used, we must try to 
interrupt or put a stop to such discourse, or else withdraw ; 
but if neither of these can be done, we should testify our dis- 
pleasure by a sad expression of countenance, for, as the Scrip- 
ture says, a sad countenance drives away backbiting tongues, 
as the north wind does rain (Prov. xxv. 23). 
What obligation does the slanderer incur? 



496 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

The obligation of retracting his calumny, and of making 
good the injury which he has done to his neighbor, in his tem- 
poral goods, or in his good name ; and where this has been 
done publicly, public reparation is obligatory. But if this 
may not be, without even worse consequences, he must at least 
endeavor to prevent the further spreading of the slander — 
must, according to his ability, and according to truth, speak 
well of the slandered person ; and, in general, do what, in such 
case, he would wish to have done to himself. 

What ought to restrain us from slander ? 

The thought, 1. Of the enormity of this sin. 2. Of the 
immense number of sins occasioned thereby, and of which the 
slanderer, as the occasion of them, becomes partaker. 3. Of 
the difficulty, nay the impossibility, of making good all the 
harm thereby done, since we cannot know the full extent of 
the injury, nor can we stop the thundering tongues of people: 
thus we are unable to put an end to the working of the evil ; 
and yet one cannot hope for forgiveness without making satis- 
faction according to his ability. Finally, we must think on the 
eternal punishment which follows this sin. Hast thou heard a 
word against thy brother, let it die within thee, trusting that it 
will not burst thee (Ecclus. xix. 10), The holy fathers say, that 
of young persons who shall be condemned, the greater part 
will be condemned for impurity, but of the old, for slander. 



Watch over me, O most loving Jesus, that I may not be so 
blinded, either through hatred or envy, as to destroy by slan- 
der the good name of my neighbor, and thereby make myself 
guilty of so grievous a sin. 

Consolation under Calumny. 

If your good name has been taken away by evil tongues, 
nevertheless comfort yourself that the good God has permitted 
this to befall you that you should not become vain and proud, 
but that you might practice humility and patience; that you 
might be more careful to mark your faults, and might the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 497 

better know yourself. That you may not become impatient, 
raise your eyes to the saints, those of the old, as well as those 
of the new law. The chaste Joseph, accused as an adulterer, 
must be cast into prison (Gen. xxxix. 20) ; David be railed at 
and cursed by Semei, as a man of blood (2 Kings xvi.); and the 
innocent Susanna pronounced guilty of adultery and con- 
demned to death (Dan. xiii.) Jesus Christ, the king of saints, 
is accused as a blasphemer of God ; a friend of the devil ; a 
glutton and a drunkard ; a deceiver of the people ; is con- 
demned, and put to death. Remember, besides, that it cannot 
injure you with God, if all earthly evil be falsely imputed to 
you ; and that he takes care of the honor of those who trust 
in him, for whoever touches the honor of such as fear God, 
touches the apple of his eye, and shall not surely go unpun- 
ished. Finally, as St. Chrysostom teaches, "Are you guilty, 
be converted : are you innocent, think of Christ." 

Aspiration. 

O most innocent Jesus, who for my sake didst submit to be 
calumniated, I give myself up entirely to thy divine will, offer- 
ing up to thee, in satisfaction for my sins, all attacks on my 
honor and good name, which I leave in thy hands, in firm con- 
fidence that thou wilt protect and defend them according to 
thy good pleasure, and that thou wilt deliver me from the 
hands of my enemies. 



NintI) Stmbaj} after JJentecost. 

Call upon God for help and assistance against all temptations 
of your enemies, both visible and invisible, and say with the 
priest, at the Introit of the Mass, Behold, God is my helper, 
and the Lord is the protector of my soul ; turn back the evils 
vpon my enemies, and cut them off in thy truth, Lord, my 
protector (Ps. liii.) Save me, God, by thy name, and de- 
liver me in thy strength. Glory be to the Father. 



498 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



Prayer. 

Let the ears of thy mercy, O Lord, be open to the prayers 
of thy suppliants, and that thou, may est grant what thy pe- 
titioners desire, make them ask those things which are pleasing 
to thee. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (1 Cor. x. 6-13.) 

Brethren : We should not covet evil things, as they also coveted. 
Neither become ye idolaters, as some of them : as it is written : " The 
people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." Neither let 
us commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and 
there fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us 
tempt Christ: as some of them tempted, and perished by the ser- 
pents. Neither do you murmur : as some of them murmured, and 
were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to 
them in figure: and they are written for our correction, upon whom 
the ends of the world are come. Wherefore he that thinketh himself 
to stand, let him take heed lest he fall. Let no temptation take hold 
on you, but such as is human. And God is faithful, who will not 
suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able ; but will 
make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear.it. 

What does St. Paul here teach us ? 

To overcome our evil inclinations ; not to murmur against 
God in adversity ; not to trust in ourselves ; and, since God 
will not suffer us to be tempted above that which we are able, 
to resist temptations manfully, in order to conquer them and 
secure an eternal victory. 

Can one sin, therefore, by thought and desire alone ? 

Certainly, if one desires evil and unlawful things, or of his 
own free will dwells upon them with pleasure ; for God forbids 
not only evil deeds, but also evil thoughts and desires in regard 
to the wife of our neighbor and his goods (Exod. xx. 17), and 
Christ says that he who shall look on a woman to lust after 
lier, has already committed adultery with her in his heart 
(Matt. v. 28). But evil thoughts which one does not give oc- 
casion to, and which he does not willingly admit and entertain, 



THE EPISTLES AXD GOSPELS. 499 

are so far from being sin that they become rather an opportu- 
nity of gaining merit, if we earnestly strive against them. For 
this reason, God sometimes permits them to assail the good. 
Resist them, therefore, at once and earnestly. 

What is it to tempt God ? 

It is, without sufficient and weighty reasons, presumptuously 
to expect signs of God's omnipotence, benignity, providence, 
and justice. Such a sin it would be, 1. Unreasonably to desire 
that matters of faith should be made known and confirmed by 
new miracles ; 2. Without real necessity, or obligation thereto, 
to expose one's self to danger of body or soul, expecting God 
to deliver us ; 3. In a dangerous sickness, or in other peril, to 
reject the ordinary and natural means of deliverance, trusting 
in God's immediate assistance. To tempt God is therefore a 
mortal sin, which he has expressly forbidden (Deut. vi. 16), 
and on account of which he punished the Israelites with fiery 
serpents. 

Is it a mortal sin to murmur against God ? 

One may see that it is, by the punishment inflicted on the 
murmuring Israelites ; for besides Kore, Dathan, and Abiron, 
whom the earth swallowed up alive, there were many thou- 
sands destroyed by fire, although they had not murmured 
against God, but against Moses and Aaron, whom he had set 
over them (Exod. xxvi. 10). Whereby we may learn that one 
murmurs against God, who murmurs against what he orders 
and permits ; for instance, against the weather, or against the 
lawful authorities. 

For this reason Moses said to the Israelites (Exod. xvi. 9), 
Your murmuring is not against us> but against the Lord. 

Aspiration. 

Cleanse, O Lord, I beseech thee, my heart from all evil 
thoughts and inclinations. Let it never come into my mind 
to despise thee, or to be displeased with thy fatherly provi- 
dence. Suffer me not to be tempted beyond my strength, but 
enable me to overcome all temptations, and to profit by them 
to the salvation of my soul. 



500 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



Gospel. (Luke xix. 41-47.) 

At that time: When Jesus drew near Jerusalem, seeing the city, 
he wept over it, saying : If thou also hadst known, and that in this 
thy day, the things that are to thy peace ; but now they are hidden 
from thy eyes. For the days shall come upon thee : and thy enemies 
shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and straiten 
thee on every side, and beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children 
who are in thee ; and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a 
stone : because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation. And 
entering into the temple, he began to cast out them that sold therein, 
and them that bought, saying to them : It is written : " My house is 
the house of prayer ;" but you have made it a den of thieves. And 
he was teaching daily in the temple. 

Why did the Saviour weep over the city of Jerusalem ? 

Because it had not known and profited by its time of visita- 
tion, and through impenitence was hastening to destruction. 

What was the time of its visitation ? 

The period in which God sent to the Jews one prophet after 
another, whom they derided and calumniated, stoned and put 
to death (2 Paralipom. xxxvi. 16). But especially was it the 
time of the ministry of Christ, who during three years had so 
often proclaimed his life-giving doctrine ; had pointed out and 
demonstrated, by the greatest miracles, that he was the Mes- 
siah and the Saviour of the world, and yet was despised by this 
hardened and impenitent city, and even put to death on the 
cross. 

Who are represented by this hardened and impenitent 
Jerusalem ? 

Hardened and impenitent sinners, and those also who live in 
indifference and lukewarmness ; for are not such as hard- 
hearted as those who, seeing Jesus weeping, remained yet un- 
moved ? Indeed they are rather more blameworthy, on ac- 
count of having received richer graces ; they have been 
washed in his blood and nourished by his flesh; the truths 
necessary to salvation have not been presented to them as to 
the Jews, veiled under figures, but as visibly confirmed by 
innumerable miracles, and carried out into practice by the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 501 

saints. And how often, too, has the Lord visited them and 
sought to waken them from the slumber of sin by admonitions, 
by inspirations, and by misfortunes ! Oh, that all would think 
well on this truth ! God desires the salvation of all, but the 
time of visitation has its end. Does one allow it to pass by 
unimproved, there remains only ruin and perdition. jSo?i, ob- 
serve the time and flee from evil (Ecclus. iv. 23). 

Does God hide from the wicked the things that are to their 
peace ? 

~No ; but by their sins sinners blind themselves till they can- 
not see the truths of salvation, while at the same time they 
harden their hearts and wills so that the divine inspirations fail 
to move them and bring them to penance. Destruction is 
their own (Osee xiii. 9). 

What do we learn by Jesus casting out of the temple those 
that sold and bought ? 

We learn how severely He who expelled from the temple 
the buyers and sellers of such things as were even needful for 
the divine service, will punish those who in Church forget 
where they are ; forget that Jesus Christ is present in the 
tabernacle ; who laugh, talk, amuse themselves, cherish sinful 
thoughts, and give scandal by their improper dress and unbe- 
coming behavior. Ah, how terribly will he punish them ! 
They should remember that he will shut them out forever 
from his kingdom. 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, who didst weep over the city of Jerusalem, because 
it knew not the time of its visitation, I beseech thee enlighten 
my heart that I may know and profit by the season of grace ; 
and grant that I may always behave with reverence in thy 
Church, and never turn it into a resort for evil thoughts and 
desires or for worldly cares. 

Profitable Lessons upon Death-bed Repentance. 

Can the sinner rely upon his being converted at the end of 
his life ? 

By no means : for this would be to sin against the mercy of 



502 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

God ; which is much the same as the sin against the Holy- 
Ghost. " God," says St. Augustine, " usually punishes such 
sinners by allowing those at the last to forget themselves, who 
in the days of their health and. strength have allowed them- 
selves to forget him." God himself also says, They have turned 
their back to me and not their face, and in the time of their 
affliction they will say, Arise and deliver us. Where are thy 
gods whom thou hast made thee f Let them arise and deliver 
thee in the time of thy affliction (Jerem. ii. 27, 28). And 
although we have an encouraging instance of a late conversion 
in the penitent thief, yet as the same St. Augustine says, while 
there is one, that no one may despair, there is only one, that 
no one may presumptuously defer his repentance. 

What may we hope of those who are converted at the close 
of life? 

Every thing that is good, if they be truly converted ; but 
this a most rare thing. " Of hundreds of thousands whose 
lives have been wicked," writes St. Jerome, " hardly one will 
be truly converted at the hour of death, and obtain forgive- 
ness of his sins." And St. Vincent Ferrer says, it would be a 
greater miracle for a person who had lived wickedly to die 
well, than for one who was dead to be restored to life. And 
no wonder ; for repentance at the hour of death is generally 
but an extorted repentance. It is not so much that the sinner 
forsakes his sins, as that his sins forsake him ; and the resolu- 
tion of amendment is one which he would hardly make, were 
he not driven to it by the agonies of death. What is there 
to expect from such a repentance ? 

When, therefore, ought we to do penance? 

While we are the in possession of our reason and strength ; 
for, as St. Augustine says, the repentance of the sick is a sickly 
repentance. In time of sickness, as experience teaches, the 
pains of his disease, the hope of recovery, the fear of death, 
the torments of conscience, the temptations of the devil, and 
the care of all depending on him, so continually distract a man, 
that he can hardly collect his thoughts at all, much less bestow 
them upon a work of a true repentance. If to many it is so 
difficult to do penance while they are yet in health, and hin- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 503 

dered bv nothing from raising their thoughts to God, how much 
more difficult will it be when the body has already become 
weak? Of various sick persons, we have heard, after their re- 
covery, that they had no knowledge of what happened to them 
during their illness, and even after having received the holy 
sacraments, they retained no recollection of having done so. 
Accordingly, Isaias admonishes us, Seek ye the Lord while he 
may be found, call upon him while he is near (Isaias xxxiii. 
6). And Christ says (John xii. 34, viii. 21), You shall seek 
me and not find me, and you shall die in your sins. If, 
therefore, you have committed mortal sin, delay not to return 
to God, by perfect contrition, and as soon as possible, by a 
good confession. Put it not off from one day to another ; for 
repentance thereby becomes more and more difficult ; since one 
sin unrepented of, as St. Gregory says, by its own weight im- 
pels a man to still further sins, and all the while makes him the 
weaker, and his adversary, the devil, the stronger ; so that at 
last he cannot be converted without the extraordinary grace 
of God. But how can the presumptuous sinner expect such 
grace ? God will laugh in their destruction, in like manner 
as they have despised his instruction, counsel, and reproof 
(Prov. i. 26-28). Therefore, while we have time, let us work 
good (Gal. vi. 10), for who knows whether we may not be 
suddenly prevented, by severe sickness, from working out our 
salvation ? Alas for us, if then we die in our sins ! 



&entl) Snnbq) after JJentecost. 

At the Introit of the Mass, join with the Church in extolling 
the help of God, whereby we are defended against our ene- 
mies. When I cried unto the Lord, he heard my voice from 
them that draio near to me, and he humbled them, who is 'be- 
fore all ages, and remains forever. Cast thy care upon the 
Lord, and he shall sustain thee (Ps. liv.) Hear, God, my 
prayer, and despise not my sujtylieations ; be attentive to me, 
and heasr me. Glory be to the Father. 



504 INSTKUCTIONS ON 



Prayer. 

O God, who dost particularly manifest thy omnipotence by 
sparing and showing mercy, multiply thy mercy towards us, 
that running to the possession of what thou hast promised, 
thou mayest make us partakers of heavenly goods. Through 
Christ, our Lord. 

Epistle. (1 Corinthians xii. 2-11.) 

Brethren : You know that when you were heathens, you went to 
dumb idols, according as you were led. Wherefore I give you to un- 
derstand, that no man, speaking by the Spirit of God, saith Anathema 
to Jesus. And no man can say, The Lord Jesus, but by the Holy 
Ghost. Now there are diversities of graces, but the same Spirit: and 
there are diversities of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are 
diversities of operations, but the same God, who worketh all in all. 
And the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man unto profit. 
To one, indeed, by the Spirit, is given the word of wisdom : to an- 
other, the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit: to an- 
other, faith in the same Spirit: to another, the grace of healing, 
in one Spirit : to another, the working of miracles : to another, 
prophecy: to another, the discerning of spirits: to another, divers 
kinds of tongues: to another, interpretation of speeches: but all 
these things one and the same Spirit worketh, dividing to every one 
according as he will. 

Explanation. 

As the Holy Ghost gave on Pentecost the gift of tongues, 
so also he imparted to the faithful many other gifts, in regard 
to which it was of importance that they should hold just views. 
On this matter St. Paul is instructing the Corinthians. The 
token of a Christian is the Holy Ghost ; and the evidence of 
possessing that spirit is the reverential confession of Jesus as 
the Lord. But this Spirit works in different ways. He con- 
fers not only ordinary, but extraordinary, graces on whom he 
will, and how he will, as he finds it for the edification of the 
body of Christ. Accordingly, to one he gives the word of 
wisdom, to understand the sublime truths of Christianity ; to 
another, the gift of tongues, that he may announce the doe- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPEEL. 505 

trines of Christianity with propriety and effect ; to another, 
the gift of a faith which works miracles; to another, the gift 
of healing the sick; to another, the gift of prophecy, to declare 
things hidden, and things to come ; to another, the gift of dis- 
cerning spirits, to determine whether those who claim to be in- 
spired by God are truly so or not ; to another, the interpreta- 
tion of speeches. But whatever gift any one has received, he 
must use for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, with- 
out being elated by it, since he has received it only of pure 
grace. 

Aspiration. 

Most benign Jesus, give us always those graces of the Holy 
Spirit which may make us humble, devout, chaste, merciful, 
forgiving, and worthy of eternal life. 

Gospel. (Luke xviii. 9-14.) 

At that time: To some who trusted in themselves as just, and de- 
spised others, Jesus spoke this parable: Two men went np into the 
temple to pray : the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The 
Pharisee, standing, prayed thus with himself: O God! I give thee 
thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adnl- 
lerers, as also is this publican. I fast twice in a week; I give tithes 
of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not 
mi much as lift up his eyes towards heaven ; but struck his breast, 
saying : O God! be merciful to me a sinner! I say to you, this man 
went down into his house justified rather than the other; because 
every one that exalteth himself, shall be humbled : and he that hum- 
bleth himself, shall be exalted. 

Why did Jesus recite the parable of the Pharisee and the 
publican ? 

To warn us against pride, ambition, and vanity in our good 
works, which would thereby lose all their merits ; to teach us 
not to despise or judge any man, although he should appear 
most impious; since, as the example of the Pharisee shows, we 
may easily be deceived ; finally, to show us that if we would 
be heard in our prayers, we must appear before God with an 
humble and penitent heart. For God has regard only to the 

22 



506 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

prayer of the humble, and gives them his grace (Ps. ci. 18) ; 
but resists the proud (James iv. 6). When, therefore, you ap- 
pear before God, present yourself in humility, with a contrite 
heart, like Abraham ; remembering that you are only dust and 
ashes (Genesis xviii. 27), and on account of your sins, unwor- 
thy to appear before his face ; be, therefore, outwardly retired, 
modest, collected in yourself, not noisy, not talking of worldly 
affairs to the very doors of the church ; in general, avoid 
every thing which would indicate that you had less respect for 
the presence of God than that of men. For would not that be 
to offend rather than to serve him, and indeed to commit a 
mortal sin ? 

Why was not the Pharisee's prayer acceptable to God ? 

Because it was not a prayer, but rather an open-mouthed 
boast; for he had not asked any thing of God, but rather 
praised himself, attributing his good works to himself, instead 
of giving God glory for them; hiding his own love of praise 
under the cloak of piety. Thus despising and presumptuously 
judging others, he sinned the more against God, instead of 
making himself worthy of his praise. 

Why was the prayer of the publican acceptable to God ? 

Because, though short, it was most humble and penitent. At 
the same time he did not, like the Pharisee, advance into the 
temple, but remained far off, as though he would acknowledge 
himself unworthy the presence of God and the fellowship of 
men. There he stood, with eyes cast down, in token that, for 
his sins, he was not worthy to look up to heaven; nay, lie 
openly confessed himself a sinner, and in sorrow smote his 
breast, punishing, as it were, thereby, says St. Augustine, the 
sins which had come from his heart. 



Instruction against Pride and Vainglory. 

From the Gospel of to-day we learn that God looks down 
upon the humble, gives them grace, and exalts them; but as 
for the proud, he is far from them; he resists and humbles 
them (Ps. cxxxvii. 6). We must, therefore, combat pride, if 
we would please God. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 507 

Pride is nothing else but an excessive love and esteem of 
self, and an inordinate desire to excel others, and gain honor 
and praise. A proud man is great in his own conceit ; makes 
himself out more than he is, and despises others. Thus it was 
with the Pharisee. He went into the temple full of himself and 
of the good works which he thought himself to have performed ; 
full, also, of contempt for the publican. The humble man, on 
the contrary, makes nothing of himself; acknowledges his 
faults and sins; repents of them; and like an open sinner, en- 
treats for forgiveness. 

But see how the two stand before the all-wise and all-just 
God ! The proud, self-satisfied Pharisee returns without grace, 
and even laden with new sins, while the humble publican goes 
home justified. Thus it remains forever true, that in the sight 
of God a humble sinner is better than a proud, self-righteous 
man ; forever true is it, that he who boasts of his good works, 
or does them to please men, or gain thereby an idle honor, 
loses his reward with God ; as Christ, in another place, ex- 
pressly says : Take heed that you do not your justice before 
men to be seen by them ; otherwise you shall not have a reward 
of your Father who is in heaven. 

Be afraid, therefore, of vainglory, like St. Ignatius, who 
said, " They who praise me, scourge me ;" and St. Hilary, who 
wept when he saw himself honored, because he was afraid of 
receiving his reward on earth. Learn to despise vainglory, 
and think, in fine, what St. Augustine says : " God is most 
high ; exalt yourself, and he withdraws from you ; humble 
yourself, and he comes down to you." Consider, also, that to 
the ambitious and proud man it happens on his death-bed, as 
to one who, after many toilsome voyages, at last meets with 
shipwreck, and loses all his costly treasures. For even so the 
ambitions man finds at his death that he has toiled in vain, and 
lost all the merits that he might have gained by his good 
works, had they been done for the glory of God. To escape 
so great a misfortune, seek in all things not your own, but 
God's glory ; accustom yourself, before every undertaking, to 
raise your heart to God by making a good intention, and you 
will, like the publican, find grace before God, 



508 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Aspiration. 

O God, who hearest the prayer of the humble, but resisteth 
the proud, grant me, I beseech thee, an humble heart, that I 
may follow the humility of thy only-begotten Son, our Lord 
Jesus Christ, and thereby merit to be one day exalted with 
him in heaven. 

Instruction on Tithes. 

" I give tithes of all that I possess." — Luke xviii. 12. 

Tithes are a contribution for the maintenance of the clergy, 
and for the supply of such things as are necessary for the divine 
service. In the old law, God commanded the Israelites to pay 
tithes to the Levites for the service of the tabernacle (Numb, 
xviii.) The Christian Church, through all ages until the pres- 
ent day, has maintained this law. The paying of the custom- 
ary dues required by the Church, is accordingly both a duty 
of religion and an obligation of justice, which call for satisfac- 
tion whenever omitted, being indeed only a commutation for 
maintenance that it is obligatory on the faithful to furnish. 
In like manner it is the duty of every Christian to pay taxes, 
tribute, and duties. St. Paul expressly enforces this (Rom. 
xiii. 7) ; and Jesus Christ paid the poll-tax for himself and 
Peter, although he was not justly liable to it. To gain the 
merit of this duty, one should make such an intention as the 
following : 

O my God, I will pay the imposts required of me to obey 
thee, to thank thee for those fruits of the earth which we have 
received, to contribute something to the dignity of the divine 
service, and to make some satisfaction for my sins. I will also 
pay them out of love to thee. Bless me and mine for the 
time to come ; defend me from all evil, and grant me so to use 
temporal goods, that I may not lose those which are sternal. 
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 509 



(£iet>cntl) S unban after Pentecost. 

At the Introit of the Mass, with the priest, pray God for 
brotherly love, and for protection against enemies, within and 
without. God, in his holy place/ God, who maketh men of 
one mind to dwell in a house, he shall give poiver and strength 
to his people (Ps. lxvii.) Let God arise, and let his enemies 
be scattered ; and let them that hate him flee before his face. 
Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O Almighty and everlasting God, who by the abundance of 
thy mercy dost exceed the desires and deserts of thy suppli- 
ants, pour forth thy mercy upon us, that thou mayest forgive 
what our conscience fears, and grant what our prayer does not 
presume to ask. Through Jesus Christ. 

Epistle. (1 Cor. xv. 1-10.) 

Brethren : I make known unto you the gospel which I preached to 
yon, which also you have received, and wherein you stand : by which 
also you are saved, if you hold fast after what manner I preached 
unto you, unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you 
first of all, which I also received : how that Christ died for our sins, 
according to the Scriptures : and that he was buried, and that he arose 
again the third day, according to the Scriptures: and that he was 
seen by Cephas, and after that by the eleven. Then was he seen by 
more than five hundred brethren at once, of whom many remain until 
this present, and some are fallen asleep. After that he was seen by 
James, then by all the Apostles. And last of all, he was seen also by 
me, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the Apos- 
tles, who am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted 
the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am ; and 
his grace in me hath not been void. 

What does this epistle teach us ? 

1 . The certainty of the resurrection of Jesus ; for by appear- 
ing to so many after he had risen, he removed all doubts. 
2. The certainty of our redemption and of our future happy 
resurrection, if we live according to our faith. 3. In what 



510 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

true humility consists. For as the holy Apostle Paul was not 
elated with vanity, by all the revelations he had received from 
God, but rather felt himself unworthy of them, on account of 
the sins of his previous life, ascribing it to God's grace that he 
was what he was, even so the truly humble man thinks little 
of himself, is willing to be despised by others, and gives glory 
to God alone. 

Such humility is to our sensual nature a most difficult lesson. 
But is there any thing more proper? Are we not sinners, and 
far greater sinners than St. Paul was ? and shall we then 
esteem ourselves highly ? And granting that we have not to 
reproach ourselves with any great sins, and have even done 
much good, have we done it of ourselves? and if not, why 
then ascribe it to ourselves ? Is it not presumption and rob- 
bery to claim for ourselves what belongs to grace ? Let us 
learn, therefore, to be humble, and to count ourselves always 
unprofitable servants. 

Aspiration. 

O most humble Saviour, banish from my heart the spirit of 
pride, and impart to me the most necessary grace of humility. 
Give me grace to know that, of myself, I can do nothing that 
is pleasing to thee, that all my sufficiency for good comes from 
thee, and that thou workest in us both to will and to accom- 
plish (2 Cor. iii. 5 ; Phil. ii. 13). 

Gospel. (Mark vii. 31-37.) 

At that time: Jesus going out of the coasts of Tyre, came by Sidon 
to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 
And they bring to him one deaf and dumb ; and they besought him 
that he would lay his hand upon him. And taking him from the 
multitude apart, he put his fingers into his ears, and spitting, he 
touched his tongue: and looking up to heaven, he groaned, and said 
to him : Ephpheta, which is, Be thou opened. And immediately his 
ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he 
spoke right. And he charged them that they should tell no man. 
But the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal did 
they publish it. And so much the more did they wonder, saying: He 
hath done all things well; he hath made both the deaf to hear, and 
the dumb to speak. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 511 

Who among Christians are like the deaf and dumb of this 
Gospel ? 

Those who are deaf to the voice of God, to the doctrines of 
the Gospel, to the reproaches of conscience, to salutary ad- 
monitions, and to the promises of God. Those also who are 
dumb in confessing their sins, in prayer, in the praise of God, 
in the defence of religion, and of the good name of their 
neighbor. 

Why did Christ take the deaf and dumb man aside ? 

Because he did not seek the praise of men, and at the same 
time, was loth to provoke too soon the hatred of his enemies. 
By this means also he avoided every thing like boasting of the 
cure after it was done. Hereby we learn to practice even good 
works with such prudence and circumspection, that we may 
neither strive for the praise of men, nor needlessly exasperate 
them against us. 

Why did Jesus put his fingers into the ears of the deaf and 
dumb, and spitting, touch his tongue ? 

To show this unfortunate person by signs what he could not 
make him understand by words, that it was he who freed him 
from his bodily evils, and that the healing power was not 
the consequence of secretly given remedies, nor did it, as some 
perhaps believed, proceed from magic art, but immediately 
from himself. 

Why did Jesus look up to heaven and groan ? 

This most significant sigh of the divine friend of man was, 
perhaps, caused by the reflection, how manifold human misery 
is. By the act of looking up to heaven, he would intimate, 1. 
That he acted, not as mere man, but that he had received all 
power from heaven, from his eternal Father. 2. He would 
thereby awaken and animate the deaf and dumb man to con- 
fidence in his power, and belief in his divine mission. Learn 
hence to practice the beautiful virtue of compassion for others' 
sufferings, and to acknowledge the truth, that every good gift 
is from above. 

Why did Christ charge them that they should tell no 
man? 

That we might learn not to seek the praise of men for our 



512 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

good deeds. The command of Jesus to tell no man this 
miracle increased his fame, and became an occasion of ad- 
miration. Our desire for praise has the contrary effect ; it 
lessens the honor paid us, often causes it to be denied us, and 
sometimes to be changed into our confusion, by exposing our 
vanity. The very desire for praise alone is often enough, in 
the eyes of men, to darken the merits of our best deeds. 
From those who brought the deaf and dumb man to Jesus, learn 
to assist the unfortunate, or at least to intercede for them, if 
you cannot yourself help them. Finally, from the multitude, 
learn to make known the works of God to his glory ; for he 
is continually working before our eyes every day so many 
wonders, in order that we may praise his benignity and om- 
nipotence. 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, great physician of souls, open mine ears to attend 
to thy holy will; loosen my tongue to proclaim and praise 
forever thy love and goodness. 

Instruction on Ceremonies. 

The use of ceremonies in the Catholic Church is justified by 
the acts of Christ as related in the gospel for to-day : for he put 
his fingers into his ears, and spitting, he touched his tongue, 
and looking up to heave?i, he groaned and said to him, 
" Ephpheta? 1 that is, he opened. 

What are ceremonies ? 

Ceremonies are certain usages prescribed for the divine 
service, which, on the one hand, serve as emblems of the work- 
ing of divine grace in men, and on the other, as a means of 
expressing outwardly and visibly the feelings and intentions of 
men. 

Ceremonies are not essential to religion, but are worthy of 
honor, because they serve to excite and sustain pious thoughts. 

Why has the Church instituted such ceremonies ? 

1. To remind us, by outward signs, of what is inwardly 
wrought in us by grace. 2. That, as we belong to God in 
body and soul, so we should serve him, not only inwardly, in 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 513 

soul, but outwardly also, with bodily devotion. 3. That the 
divine service may wear a venerable aspect, properly distin- 
guished from common and worldly acts. 4. That, by outward 
tilings, our minds may be raised to the contemplation of what 
is inward and divine. 5. That thereby we may edify our 
neighbors, and awaken them to a devotion like ours. 

Are ceremonies, also, approved in the Holy Scriptures ? 

Certainly, since besides those which Christ used, as related 
in the gospel of to-day, he also used, at other times, various 
ceremonies ; as when he blessed the loaves and the fishes (Matt. 
xv. 36) ; when he spread clay upon the eyes of the man born 
blind (John ix. 6) ; when, in praying, he knelt down (Luke 
xxii. 41), and fell upon his face (Matt. xxvi. 39) ; when he 
breathed upon his disciples in imparting to them the Holy 
Ghost (John xx. 22) ; and when, finally, at his ascension into 
heaven, he blessed them with uplifted hands (Luke xxiv. 50). 
So likewise, under the old law, many ceremonies were pre- 
scribed by God to the Jews. Of these the greater part were 
abolished under the new law, but yet many were retained ; 
and these were, by the Church, invested with new significance. 
Who would dare dispute that the Church has the right of so 
doing? That they have an exalted Christian meaning, any 
one may see who will take the pains to examine them ; and 
that the use of them is most reasonable, no one w r ill deny, when 
so many ceremonies are in use in ordinary life. Learn hence, 
then, the meaning of ceremonies, and be not ashamed thereby 
publicly to confess God. 

Practical Lessons against Sins of the Tongue. 

" And spitting, he touched his tongue." — Mark vii. 33. 

There is no more dangerous member of the body than the 
tongue. Tlie tongue, says St. James, is inched a little mem- 
ber, and boasteth great things : behold how small a fire, what 
a great wood it kindleth ; and the tongue is afire, a world of 
iniquity. Hie tongue is placed among our members, which de- 
fileth the whole body, and infiameth the wheel of our nativity, 
being set on fire of hell. By it we bless God and t/ie Father^ 

22* 



514 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

and by it ice curse men who are made after the likeness of 
God: out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing 
(James iii. 5-11). There is no land, no city, no house, which 
evil tongues have not filled with contention, strife, reproach, 
discord, jealousy, impurity, and slander. An impious tongue 
assails God and his saints ; falsifies the divine word ; produces 
heresies and divisions ; makes men intemperate, impure, envi- 
ous, hateful, jealous. It is, in a word, a world of injustice and 
unspeakable evil. The tongue of the serpent seduced our first 
parents, and brought thereby into the world death and all evil 
(Gen. iii.) The tongue of Jeroboam seduced the Israelites 
from their God (3 Kings xii. 28). The tongue of Judas be- 
trayed Christ (Matt, xxvi.) And what is the chief cause of 
war, that scourge of mankind, but the restless tongues of men 
greedy for gold and honor, who seek their fortune by war, and 
make their gains from its calamities ? How many, finally, by 
their ungoverned tongues, have been drawn into the greatest 
un happiness and sorrow ? 

What, then, is to be done to protect ourselves against so 
dangerous an enemy ? 

1. We must be, as St. James says, slow to speak ; that is, 
we must consider well what we speak. 2. We must avoid 
oaths and falsehoods, whether in so-called jests or necessity ; 
for there surely can be no reason to offend God, and to do so 
out of jest is manifestly worthy of punishment. 3. We should 
ask others to make us watchful over ourselves, and should pun- 
ish ourselves for such faults as we have committed. By such 
methods may one avoid offending in word, and become a per- 
fect man (James iii. 2). But as every nature of beasts has 
been tamed by the nature of man, while man alone cannot 
tame his own tongue, but needs therefore the special grace of 
God, let us, accordingly, often pray for it in the following 
ejaculation : 

Set a watch, Lord, before my mouth, and a door around 
my I'qis, that I fall not by them, and that my tongue destroy 
me not (Ps. civ. 3 ; Ecclus. xxii. 33). 

[Read the Instruction on Slander, Eighth Sunday after Pen- 
tecost.] 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 515 



toelftl) Sttnbag after Pentecost. 

The Introit of the Mass to-day is the prayer of an afflicted 
soul entreating God for assistance against its enemies. Incline 
to my aid, God ; Lord, make haste to help me y let my 
enemies be confounded and ashamed who seek my soid (Ps. 
Ixix.) Let them be turned backwards, and blush for shame, 
who desire evils to me. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Almighty and merciful God, from whose gift it comes 
that thou art worthily and laudably served by the faithful, 
grant us, we beseech thee, to run without offence to the at- 
tainment of thy promises. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (2 Cor. iii. 4-9.) 

Brethren : Such confidence we have, through Christ towards God. 
Not that we are sufficient to think any thing of ourselves as of ourselves ; 
but our sufficiency is from God. Who also hath made us fit ministers 
of the new testament, not in the letter, but in the Spirit. For the 
letter killeth : but the Spirit quickeneth. Now if the ministration of 
death, engraven with letters upon stones, was glorious ; so that the 
children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, for 
the glory of his countenance, which is made void : how shall not the 
ministration of the Spirit be rather in glory? For if the ministration 
of condemnation be glory ; much more the ministration of justice 
aboundeth in glory. 

Explanation. 

St. Paul hereby says to the Corinthians that he delivers to 
them the pure and plain truth, and that they therefore ought 
to give heed to him and follow him. As evidence of this, he 
brings forward his life and the fruits of his labors, which are, 
as it were, a living epistle and a living witness to the same 
effect. He then introduces a comparison between the priest- 
hood of the old and that of the new law, in order to show that 
the dignity of the priesthood under the new law (and conse- 



516 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

quently the respect and confidence due to it), as far excels the 
dignity of the priesthood under the old, as the spirit does the 
letter — the truth the figure. For if the ministry of Moses, 
which consisted in the service of the letter, and imparted no 
grace, was so glorious, how much more glorious is that priest- 
hood of the new law, through which is conveyed the sancti- 
fying grace of God. And how much more veneration and 
obedience should accordingly be paid to the priests of the 
new law. 

Aspiration. 

O Lord, grant to thy Gospel such preachers, and to thy 
people such pastors, as may strive, like St. Paul, to gain honor 
for their office and fruits for their labors. Grant that we also 
may highly esteem thy ministers, may honor them in word 
and deed, and willingly obey their teachings. 

Gospel. (Luke x. 23-37.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples : Blessed are the eyes that 
see the things which you see. For I say to you that many prophets 
and kings have desired to see the things that you see, and have not 
seen them ; and to hear the things that you hear, and have not heard 
them. And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting him, and say- 
ing : Master, what must I do to possess eternal life ? But he said to 
him : What is written in the law ? how readest thou ? He answer- 
ing, said : " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, 
and with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy 
mind: and thy neighbor as thyself." And he said to him : Thou hast 
answered right : this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to jus- 
tify himself, said to Jesus : And who is my neighbor ? And Jesus 
answering, said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jeri- 
cho, and fell among robbers, who also stripped him, and, having 
wounded him, went away, leaving him half dead. And it chanced 
that a certain priest went down the same way ; and seeing him, passed 
by. In like manner also a Levite, when he was near the place and 
saw him, passed by. But a certain Samaritan being on his journey, 
came near him ; and seeing him, was moved with compassion. And 
going up to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine : and 
setting him upon his own beast, brought him to an inn, and took care 
of him. And the next day he took out two pence, and gave to the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 517 

host, and said : Take cave of him : and whatsoever thou shalt spend 
over and above, I at my return will repay thee. Which of these three 
in thy opinion was neighbor to him that fell among the robbers? 
But he said : He that showed mercy to him. And Jesus said to 
him : Go and do thou in like manner. 

Why does Jesus call his disciples blessed ? 

Because they now had the happiness which so many kings, 
patriarchs, and prophets had desired in vain — of seeing the 
Saviour of the world, and of hearing his teaching. 

We no longer see Jesus in person, but do we not see him 
with the eyes of faith, really, substantially, and truly present, 
under the appearance of bread ? Do we not hear him contin- 
ually through the mouth of his Church and of her ministers, 
since whoso hears her, hears him ? 

Believe, therefore, as if you saw him in person, and so will 
you have the promise of salvation (John xx. 29). 

What sort of faith was it that Jesus praised ? 

Such as is active in love — the love of God and of our neigh- 
bor, for on these two commandments dependeth the whole law 
and the prophets. 

[On the Love of God, see the Instruction for the Seven- 
teenth Sunday after Pentecost.] 

Who is our neighbor ? 

Every man, be he a foreigner or a fellow-countryman, poor 
or rich, of our own religion or of any other, a friend or an 
enemy. This we are taught by the parable of the good Sa- 
maritan, who did not inquire of the man who fell among rob- 
bers who and whence he was, but proved himself a neighbor 
to him, by actively helping him when he needed help. 

How are we to love our neighbor ? 

The Samaritan showed the wounded man all the love which, 
in like case, he could have desired for himself. We- must, 
therefore, love our neighbor as ourselves ; that is, must de- 
sire for him and do for him the same that, in like circum- 
stance, we should desire for ourselves, and not wish for him or 
do to him what we would not wish done to ourselves (Matt, 
vii. 12). 



518 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

In what way are we particularly to practice the love of our 
neighbor ? 

1. According to the example of St. Paul, by (1 Cor. i. 4) 
heartily rejoicing over the gifts and graces which our neighbor 
has received from God, and by sympathizing with him in mis- 
fortune. 2. By praying God to grant to our neighbor such 
gifts as St. Paul, on his knees, besought for the Ephesians, — 
the fulness of the knowledge of God, and of all perfection. 3. 
By overlooking and patiently bearing our neighbors' faults, 
disorders, and infirmities of every kind, according to the teach- 
ing of the same Apostle to the Galatians (vi. 2) : Bear ye one 
another's burdens and so you shall fulfil the law of Christ. 
This, the young should particularly practice towards the old, 
the rich towards the poor, husbands towards their wives, and 
wives towards their husbands. 4. In general, by both the 
spiritual and corporal works of mercy. [See the instruction 
for the seventh Sunday after Pentecost.] 

Why must we love our neighbor? 

1. God implanted it in the heart of every man to respect 
and love others as he would wish the same for himself. 2. 
This law, obscured by selfishness and passion, was set forth 
anew by God, both in the old and the new law, so distinctly and 
so strictly, that he who loves not, does not fulfil the law (Rom. 
xiii. 8), does not love God, is a murderer of his brother, 
abideth in sin (1 John iii. 14), and cannot, therefore, be saved, 
although he should fulfil every other requirement. 3. We are 
all, not merely by descent from Adam, but much more through 
the grace of Jesus, children of God, members of one family, 
and should we not love one another? Might not even the 
dumb animals put us to shame, since they plainly love their 
own ? 4. As children of God, we bear in us the likeness of 
God. But God loved, and still loves all men , for the salvation 
of all, he has given up his only Son, that all may be saved ; 
shall we then love one and hate another, and yet think to be 
like God ? 5. Through the grace of Jesus we are all redeemed, 
made members of his body, yes, partakers of his body and 
blood. Therefore St. Paul admonishes us, You are all one in 
Christ (Gal. iii. 28), be therefore careful to keep the unity of 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 519 

the spirit in the bond of peace (Ephes. iv. 3). How natural is 
it for the members of one body not to wound each other. 6. 
Jesus, our Redeemer, gave his life for us when we were his 
enemies (Rom. v. 10), and even on the cross prayed for his 
murderers. We are his disciples. But can we be allowed to 
call ourselves so without possessing this mark of his discipleship 
(John xiii. 15). Thus every thing incites us to love : the law 
of nature and of revelation, the example of Christ, all the 
promises and hopes that we have. In truth, how, without 
love, could we hope to enter the kingdom of love ? There 
can be no answer to this reasoning, " Would you be a disciple 
of Jesus, an heir of his kingdom ?" then love like him ; and 
he has shed his blood for his mortal enemies. 

With what intention should we love our neighbor ? 

Not from the hope of w T orldly gain, nor from natural incli- 
nation ; still less from any worse and more discreditable mo- 
tives ; for such love were merely natural, such as that of the 
heathen (Matt. v. 46, 47), or even of beasts; but we must love 
our neighbor in God, and for God's sake, because he com- 
mands it, and because such love is pleasing to him. 

Aspiration. 

O my God, give me a truly loving and merciful heart, that 
I may show love and beneficence to my neighbor for thy sake, 
and thereby become worthy to receive the same from thy 
mercy. 

In what higher and spiritual sense is this day's gospel to be 
understood ? 

The holy fathers understand by the man who fell among 
robbers, the race of mankind, who through the disobedience 
of Adam, were deprived of original justice, and of the grace 
of God, and wounded and enfeebled in body and soul. The 
priest and Levite accordingly represent the old law, which had 
neither the will nor the power to repair this misfortune. 
Finally, the Good Samaritan is Christ, who takes up the 
wounded, pours into his wounds the oil of his grace and the 
wine of his blood, through baptism and the other holy sacra- 
ments, brings him to the inn, that is the Church, and commits 



520 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

him to the pastor of souls, for further care and nursing. What 
love ! 

Instruction on the Holy Sacrament of Extreme Unction. 

"He bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine." — Luke x. 34. 

This act of the Samaritan towards the wounded man, may 
be regarded as a figure of the holy sacrament of Extreme 
Unction, in which Christ the true Samaritan, through the 
anointing with the holy oils, communicates his grace to the 
sick, healing and strengthening him, if not in body, yet in 
soul ; provided that the sick put no impediment in the way. 

Is Extreme Unction a sacrament ? 

Yes; for through it the grace of God is imparted to the 
sick, through an outward sign, instituted by Christ. 

What is the outward sign of this sacrament ? 

The anointing with the holy oil (which is consecrated by the 
bishop on Maundy Thursday), and the prayer of the priest. 

When was this sacrament instituted ? 

According to the Council of Trent, this sacrament was fore- 
shadowed by the disciples anointing the sick with oil, and heal- 
ing them (Mark vi. 13) ; but afterwards St. James announced 
it to the Corinthians, as a sacrament instituted by Christ, in 
these words : u Ls any one sick among you f Let him bring 
in the jiriests of the Church, and let them pray over him, 
anointing him with oil, in the name of the Lord, and the 
prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall 
raise him up, and if he be in his sins-, they shall be forgiven 
him' 1 '' (James v. 14, 15). This St. James could not have said, 
unless Christ had so instructed and commanded him. 

What are the effects of this sacrament upon the sick ? 

According to the above quoted words of St. James, its 
effects are, 1. That the sick either regains his former health, 
or else is enabled, by the divine assistance, to bear the pains of 
his sickness patiently and meritoriously. 2. A relief to the 
soul, in being freed from lukewarmness and feebleness for 
good ; while, at the same time, by increased grace, it is 
strengthened and armed against disquietude of mind and the 
temptations of the devil. 3. Remission not only of venial 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 521 

sins, together with the remaining punishments of them, but 
also of mortal sins; whether of such as he either forgot, or 
had not the opportunity to confess, provided that he receives 
the sacrament with worthy preparation. For this reason this 
sacrament is to be administered to children, after they have 
come to years of discretion, although they may not have yet 
received Holy Communion. 

In what does this due preparation consist ? 

In the reception of the holy sacrament of Penance, and, if 
possible, of Holy Communion, and in acts of faith, hope, 
charity, contrition, and other pious affections. The sick per- 
son therefore should not defer the reception of this sacrament 
until the violence of his disease, by taking away the use of 
sense and reason, renders him nearly unconscious of what is 
going on. By this precaution he will not die any sooner, but 
rather recover the more quickly, if it be for his soul's good ; 
and, at any rate, he will thereby secure this advantage, that 
his sickness will be more meritorious, and his death the easier 
and happier. 

Is this sacrament necessary to salvation ? 

No ; but it would be indeed foolish to deprive ourselves of 
the grace which is necessary in order to enter upon the passage 
to eternity with child-like confidence in God. 

Is this sacrament to be received more than once ? 

Yes ; and as often as we are in probable danger of death ; 
even though this should happen several times in the same 
sickness. 

What preparations must be made for the administration of 
this holy sacrament ? 

When Extreme Unction is to be given to a sick person, there 
must be standing in the room where the person is, a table, 
covered with a white cloth, and on it are to be placed a cru- 
cifix, a blessed candle, and holy water, besides some common 
water and a plate with salt; also, some cotton for the priest. 
The salt and eotton, after having been used, are burned. 

What does the priest say on entering the sick room ? 

He wishes peace to the house, and then sprinkles the sick 
with holy water, saying, TJtou shall sprinkle me with l/yssop. 



522 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Have mercy on me, God. He next prays God to bless the 
sick, and to send his holy angels to defend those that dwell in 
that habitation from all evil ; to repel from them all assaults of 
the devil ; to console and strengthen the sick, and to restore 
him again to health. 

Why does the priest lay his hands upon the sick, praying at 
the same time ? 

The imposition of hands signifies the protection of God, and 
is done in accordance with the words of Jesus, They shall lay 
their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover (Mark xvi. 
18). At the same time the priest says: "In the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, may all power 
of the devil be extinguished in thee, by the laying on of our 
hands, and by the invocation of all the holy angels, archangels, 
patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and 
all saints." 

What prayer does the priest say during the unction ? 

Dipping his thumb in the holy oil, he anoints the sick per- 
son, in the form of a cross, upon the eyes, saying, "Through 
his holy unction and his own most tender mercy, may the Lord 
pardon thee whatever sins thou hast committed by thy sight, 
Amen." He then anoints the ears, the nose, the mouth, hands 
and feet, making use of the same prayer, and adapting the 
same form to the several senses. While this is doing, the sick 
person should make an act of contrition for all the sins he has 
committed by the five senses, humbly imploring of God mercy 
and the remission of his deserved punishment. In the other 
prayers the priest asks of God that he will strengthen the sick 
and restore him to health in body and soul. 

What must the sick do after having received this sacrament? 

1. He should, from his heart, thank God for having caused 
him to be born and brought up in the true Catholic Church, and 
for having made him worthy to receive this holy sacrament, 
by which he becomes a partaker in the sufferings and death of 
Jesus. 2. He should pray God to render the grace of this 
sacrament effectual in him ; to make him a sharer in the merits 
of Jesus, and to strengthen him to follow Christ to his glory, 
by the way of the cross. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 523 

How considerate does our holy Catholic Church show her- 
self by the continual administration of this holy sacrament ! 
Having received man at holy baptism under her maternal 
care, having provided him at confirmation with the arms neces- 
sary to meet sin, heresy, and infidelity; having cleansed him, 
in the holy sacrament of Penance, from the stains of his guilt; 
having, in the most holy Eucharist, nourished him with the 
bread of life, and strengthened him for the exercise of virtues, 
she does not forsake him at the last decisive moment — in the 
hour of death — but at that most dangerous hour, when the 
dying man lies on the bed of affliction, forsaken by all, often 
by his most intimate friends, and even regarded with aversion; 
when time closes upon him, and an uncertain and unknown 
eternity opens before him ; when Satan is using all his strength 
to destroy his soul, and when the very thought of the coming 
judgment makes him tremble; — at this terrible hour, his faithful 
mother, the Catholic Church, does not abandon him, but sends 
her minister, the priest, as a consoling angel, to his bed, to en- 
courage the suffering, and to reanimate the timid, by the 
divine word, to cleanse the unclean, and reconcile him to God, 
through the holy sacrament of Penance; to strengthen the 
feeble, and to nourish him with the bread of life ; to confirm 
the combatant with holy oil, thus providing him with all the 
means of grace which Jesus has obtained for his Church, and 
conducting the soul before the face of the Eternal Judge, with 
prayers for grace and mercy, for the sake of his most holy 
name. 

Considering this, O Christian, should you not rejoice to be- 
long to the Catholic Church ; should you not thank God, and 
faithfully adhere to this Church ; for however well we may 
live in heresy, in her alone can we die well. 



ftljirteentl) Sunbcrrj after Jkntecost. 

At the Introit of the Mass, pray with the Church for assist- 
ance against her enemies. Have regard, Lord, to thy cove- 
nant, and forsake not, to the end, the souls of thy poor : Arise, 



524 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

O Lord, and judge thy cause, and forget not tlie voices of them 
that seek thee (Ps. lxxiii.) God, why hast thou cut us off 
to the end? W hy is thy wrath enkindled against the sheep 
of thy pasture f Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer 

O almighty and eternal God, grant to us an increase of faith, 
hope, and charity; and that we may deserve to obtain what thou 
promisest, make us love what thou commandest. Through our 
Lord. 

Epistle. (G-alatians iii. 16-22.) 

Brethren : To Abraham were the promises made, and to his seed. 
He saith not, " And to his seeds," as of many : but as of one, " And to 
thy seed," which is Christ. Now this I say, that the testament which 
was confirmed by God, the law which was made after four hundred 
and thirty years, doth not disannul, to make the promise of no effect. 
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise. But 
God gave it to Abraham by promise. Why then was the law? It 
was set because of transgressions, until the seed should come, to whom 
he made the promise, being ordained by angels in the hand of a media- 
tor. Now a mediator is not of one : but God is one. Was the law 
then against the promises of God ? God forbid. For if there had 
been a law given which could give life, verily justice should have been 
by the law. But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the 
promise by the faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that 
believe. 

Expla?iation. 

St. Paul shows the Galatians that they could not be justi- 
fied by the Mosaic law, but only by active faith. The promise, 
he says, which God gave to Abraham, that all nations should 
be saved through faith in one of his seed, pointed to Christ. 
Moses, indeed, proclaimed the law four hundred and thirty 
years afterwards, but this does not annul the promise : other- 
wise the promise of God would not be fulfilled. 

Why, then, was the law given ? To make the will of God 
known to the Jews ; to prevent them from transgressing it, by 
the fear of punishment ; and, hi short, to prepare them for the 
coming of Christ. The law, then, is not against the promise of 



THE EPISTLES AXD GOSPELS. 525 

saving of all men through Christ, but rather a preparation for its 
fulfilment. Accordingly, the law lasted no longer than till the 
coming of Christ, who was that promised seed of Abraham. 
Even the Scriptures mention, that notwithstanding the law and 
its sacrifices, the Jews remained sinners ; it could not, there- 
fore, by itself, justify man. It follows, therefore, that salva- 
tion was to be gained only through Jesus, who delivered men 
from the Jewish law. Let us, then, by active faith in him, 
make use of this grace for eternity. 

Aspiration. 

O God, grant that we who have the promises which thou 
gavest to the fathers, may also have grace to walk as worthy 
heirs of heaven. 

Gospel. (Luke xvii. 11-19.) 

At that time : As Jesus was going to Jerusalem, he passed through 
the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain 
town, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off; 
and lifted up their voice, saying : Jesus, master, have mercy on us. 
"Whom when he saw, he said: Go, show yourselves to the priests. 
And it came to pass, as they went, they were made clean. And one of 
them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice 
glorifying God ; and he fell on his face, before his feet, giving thanks : 
and this was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering, said : "Were not ten 
made clean ? and where are the nine ? There is no one found to return 
and give glory to God, but this stranger. And he said to him : Arise, 
go thy way, for thy faith hath made thee whole. 

What is leprosy ? 

The law of Moses divided leprosy into three kinds : that of 
the flesh, showing itself in a noisome and contagious eruption ; 
that of garments, appearing in red or white stains ; and that of 
houses, showing itself in spots lower than the surrounding parts, 
like dints, and disfigured with paleness or redness (Leviticus 
xiii., xiv.) 

In a spiritual sense, the leprosy of the flesh denotes the un- 
chaste, who easily corrupt others. The leprosy of garments 
consists in luxury of dress and in scandalous fashions, by which 
not only are souls seduced into sin, but many are stripped of 



526 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

all they possess, and whole families and communities plunged 
into temporal and eternal ruin. 

If, in former times, God threatened the Jews with his ven- 
geance for merely wearing strange apparel (Sophonias i. 8), 
what punishment will come upon those Christians who, by se- 
ductive dress and shameful exposure, draw so many thousand 
souls into sin ? 

The leprosy of houses is to be found where wicked and im- 
moral servants are kept ; where scandalous and obscene words 
are spoken ; where immodest dances and too free plays are 
held ; where indecent songs are sung, and licentious acts com- 
mitted ; where married persons behave towards each other with 
too little restraint in the sight of others; where mothers are 
without modesty in nursing children ; where parents take 
children already well grown to bed with them, or allow chil- 
dren of opposite sexes to sleep together, and such like things ; 
where meetings are allowed and encouraged to the injury of 
virtue and of our neighbor's honor, to the destruction of the 
peace of families and communities, to the furtherance of love 
affairs, of robberies, of extravagance in dress ; or where assist- 
ance, counsel, or harbor is given to wicked undertakings of any 
other sort, injurious to our neighbor, and an opportunity 
afforded for neglecting the divine service. Woe to those who 
give, tolerate, overlook these scandals. 

Why were the lepers to stand afar off? 

Because it was so commanded in the law of Moses, that no 
one might receive the contagion from them. Hence we learn 
that we must carefully shun scandalous persons, companies, 
and houses, as we would the plague. He that toucheth pitch 
shall be defiled with it, and he that hath fellowship with the 
proud shall put on pride (Ecclus xiii. 1). 

Why did Christ send lepers to the priests? 

He did this, 1. To pay due honor to the priestly dignity and 
to the law of God, for it was commanded that lepers should 
show themselves to the priests, by whom they were to be pro- 
nounced clean or unclean (Leviticus xiv.) 2. It was done to 
try the faith, the confidence, the obedience of the lepers. For 
Christ would not heal them upon their simple petitions only, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 527 

but they must also assist in their healing by their own co-ope- 
ration ; that is, by their faith in his word, by their confidence 
in his power, by their obedience to his commands. And, in 
tact, as they went to show themselves to the priests they were 
made clean. 

Thus, also, God deals with sinners; he is truly ready to 
cleanse them from the leprosy of their sins, so soon as they 
shall present themselves to the priests, by a sincere confession, 
shall make known the dangerous state of their souls, and obe- 
diently and faithfully make use of the means thereby placed 
within their reach ; thus only will they be able to obtain the 
perfect cure of their souls. 

Why did Jesus ask for the nine others who also were made 
clean ? 

To show how greatly ingratitude displeases him. Injuries 
done to him, he mostly submitted to in silence ; but this ingrati- 
tude he will not suffer to pass uncondemned. So great a sin is 
ingratitude ! On this account St. Bernard says, " Ingratitude is 
an enemy of the soul that destroys merits, corrupts virtue, and 
prevents grace. It is a scorching wind that dries up the foun- 
tain of the goodness, the mercy, and the influence of God." 
On the other hand, gratitude, as St. Chrysostom says, is the 
best preserver of benefactions; and whoever meets the ben- 
efits of God with thanks, as Cassian observes, prompts the 
giver to bestow still greater. Therefore be thankful (Coloss. 
iii. 15). 

Why does God require of us to be thankful ? 

This question St. Chrysostom answers very beautifully by 
saying, "God requires thankfulness of us, only that he may 
confer on us new graces." But have we not, on other grounds, 
every reason to be thankful to him, since not a moment passes 
in which he does not load us with endless benefits ? Forget 
not, therefore, to give thanks to God morning and evening, 
before and after every meal ; thank him then as often as you 
recognize his blessing in your house, in your children, in your 
property, your cattle, your fields, your fruits. Particularly 
thank him when you have gathered in the fruits of the earth 
(Levit. xxiii. 10, seq.) St. Augustine says, "We cannot think, 



528 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

speak, or write any thing better or more acceptable than, 
'Thanks be to God!"' 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus Christ, who, while upon earth, didst for our example 
and encouragement give thanks to thy Heavenly Father for 
all things, by thy thankfulness I beseech of thee grace to give 
thanks through thee, to our Father in heaven, at all times, for 
all things (Coloss. hi. 17). 

Instruction on the Sacrament of Holy Orders. 

Go and show yourselves to the priests (Luke xvii. 14). The 
Saviour showed such honor to the priests of the old law, as to 
command that all lepers should appear in their presence, 
although they could not cure the leprosy; what honor and 
veneration do not the priests of the new law deserve, who 
through the sacrament of holy orders, have received power 
to heal the leprosy of the soul, with many still higher pre- 
rogatives ! 

What are holy orders ? 

A sacrament in which the ministers of Christ are conse- 
crated to their sacred functions, and receive grace to dis- 
charge them. 

What is the outward sign of this sacrament? 

The laying on of the hands of the bishop, and the presenta- 
tion of the chalice with bread and wine, together with the 
verbal communication of authority to change the bread and 
wine into the body and blood of Christ, and to remit and re- 
tain sins. 

When did Christ institute this sacrament? 

At the Last Supper, when he, after having changed the 
bread into his true body, and the wine into his true blood, 
said to his Apostles, Do this in remembrance of me (Luke 
xxii. 19). The power of remitting and retaining sin lie gave 
them before his ascension, when he said, lieceive ye the Holy 
Ghost; wJiosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them ; 
and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained (John xx. 22, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 529 

23). From which it follows, that not all Christians, but only 
the Apostles and their successors, were made capable of exer- 
cising these sacred functions. Neither doth any man take the 
honor to himself, but he that is called of God, as Aaron was 
(Heb. v. 4). 

Are holy orders reckoned a sacrament by the Apostles ? 

Yes ; for St. Paul admonishes his disciple Timothy to stir 
up the grace of God received by the imposition of his hands. 
Hereby St. Paul teaches expressly that by the imposition of 
the hands of the Apostles, or of the bishops, who are their 
successors, the grace of God is imparted to priests, in which 
consists the substance of the sacrament. 

In what manner are holy orders conferred ? 

The dignity of the priesthood is reached by several degrees. 
He who is called to it first receives tonsure, and next succes- 
sively the offices of ostiarius (doorkeeper), reader, exorcist, 
acolyte, sub-deacon, and deacon, before he is admitted to the 
priesthood. These degrees have existed from the most ancient 
times. Of deacons we find mention already made in the Acts 
of the Apostles. This order was established to prepare for the 
priesthood those who aspired to that degree, to keep before 
their eyes the dignity of that calling, and to prove their fitness 
for it. On this account, he who was destined for the priest- 
hood often remained several years in one and the same degree. 
The significance of these various degrees is full of meaning. 
The tonsure, which is the name given to cutting the hair from 
the crown of the head in the form of the cross, and the putting 
on of the white surplice, remind him that he is to renounce the 
vanity of the world, henceforth to acknowledge as king Jesus 
crowned with thorns, and to remember how necessary for an 
ecclesiastic is an unstained life. As ostiarius, or doorkeeper, 
he receives the oversight of the church and its furniture, and 
is charged with enforcing the respect due to the house of God. 
As reader, it is his place to read, in the church, from the Holy 
Scriptures. As exorcist^ he receives authority to command 
evil spirits in the name of Christ. As acolyte, it is his duty to 
carry the censer at holy mass, to light the candles, to present 
the water and wine. To those who are admitted to these de- 
23 



530 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

grees are given, at their ordination, the implements which are 
significant of their respective offices. As sub-deacon, wearing 
the dalmatic (the garment of joy), it is his place to assist the 
priest at high mass, and to sing the epistle. As deacon, he 
receives full power to chant the gospel at high mass, to 
baptize, and to preach. He who has received only tonsure 
and the four minor orders, may return to the world ; but 
he who has been made sub-deacon, must persevere in his vo- 
cation. 

He who is to be ordained priest must prepare himself before- 
hand, for several days, by prayer, meditation, and confession. 
Before ordination, the bishop declares and announces, with a 
loud voice, that he who would receive the office of sub-deacon 
is bound, by the laws of the Church, to perpetual celibacy; 
that no one, therefore, should present himself for that degree 
who is not prepared willingly to submit to this law,. which has 
been established by the Church in order that the clergy might 
the better devote themselves to the service of God and of their 
neighbor. 

On the appointed day the bishop, after the epistle, sits in his 
chair, while those who are to be ordained are called, and their 
names read out. The arch-deacon then addresses the bishop 
thus : " Right reverend father, the service of the Holy Church 
requires that these deacons here present be ordained priests." 
The bishop says, "Do you know that they are worthy?" To 
the answer of the arch-deacon — "As far as human frailty per- 
mits, I know and testify that they are worthy," — the bishop 
replies, "Thanks be to God." The bishop then calls upon the 
other ecclesiastics, and upon the laity present, to declare any 
thing that they may have to allege against any of these dea- 
cons ; and after waiting a moment, if no one comes forward, 
he turns to the deacons, and sets forth to them how venerable 
the priesthood is, and how holy the duties are which they are 
about to undertake. The deacons then prostrate themselves, 
to indicate that they acknowledge themselves unworthy of such 
a holy office. The bishop kneels at the altar, and in the litany 
invokes the saints to intercede for those who are to be or- 
dained priests, and imparts to them, as they lie prostrate, his 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 531 

threefold blessing, by saying, " May God bless, sanctify, and 
ordain you to his service." 

Then the bishop and all the priests present, one after the 
other, lay both their hands on the heads of the deacons, pray- 
ing God to fill them, through the Holy Ghost, with the fulness 
of power from above. He then puts on each of them the stole, 
folding it over the breast in the form of a cross, saying at the 
same time, " Take up the yoke of the Lord, for his yoke is 
sweet and burden light." Hereby is denoted that the prrest 
is to be armed with power from above, to carry the cross of 
Christ and the yoke of the divine law, and to instruct others 
in the same, by word and by pious example. In the same 
manner he puts on each the chasuble, with the words, " Re- 
ceive the priestly garment which signifies love, for God can 
increase love, and perfect it in works." He then, having 
dipped his thumb in the holy oil, anoints the hands of each in 
the form of a cross, from the thumb of one hand to the fore- 
finger of the other, saying at the same time, " May the Lord, 
through this unction, consecrate, sanctify, and bless these 
hands, that whatever they shall consecrate may be conse- 
crated, and whatever they shall bless and sanctify may be 
blessed and sanctified." He then gives them the chalice with 
the wine and water, and the paten with the bread, saying, 
" Receive the power to offer sacrifice to God, and to celebrate 
mass for the living and for the dead, in the name of the Lord." 
Before the offertory the new presbyters come forward, two by 
two, each carrying a lighted candle in his hand, kneel down 
before the bishop, and, kissing his hand, deliver up to him the 
candles as an emblem of the enlightenment of their minds by 
faith, and of the love that has been enkindled in their hearts. 
They then immediately proceed to say mass, with the bishop, 
out of the missals prepared for them. 

Shortly after the Agnus Dei, one of them goes to the bishop 
and receives from him the kiss of peace as a token of love and 
unity. Returning, he in like manner gives the kiss of peace 
to the one next him, with the words, "Peace unto you," and 
in this way it is communicated successively until the last is 
reached. All receive holy communion from the hands of the 



532 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

bishop. Finally, they all say the Creed, in token that, hence- 
forth they are to preach the Gospel. After this the bishop 
again imposes his hands upon them, repeating those words of 
Christ (John xx. 22, 23) : " Receive, ye the Holy Ghost ; whose 
sins thou shalt forgive, they are forgiven them ; and whose 
sins thou shalt retain, they are retained." Immediately after, 
their chasubles, which until now have been rolled up half-way 
on the back, are unfolded, in token that they are now in pos- 
session of the full power of the priesthood. The bishop then 
takes the hands of each of the new presbyters, and inclosing 
them in his, asks them, " Do you promise to me and to my 
successors due veneration and obedience ?" After the answer, 
"I promise," the bishop embraces him with the words, "Peace 
be always with you." Finally, the bishop admonishes the new 
presbyters to observe, at saying mass, and at other ecclesias- 
tical duties, the veneration, care, and exactness which are due 
to such sacred functions, and to the dignity of priests dedicated 
to God. For that end he implores the divine assistance ; giv- 
ing them in conclusion his threefold blessing. 

From this instruction learn, then, to venerate and honor 
priests as being representatives of God on earth, and as pos- 
sessors of that great authority by virtue of which they can 
forgive or retain sins. Profit by the use of this authority; and 
when you have fallen into mortal sin, go to the priest that you 
may obtain absolution ; apply to him whenever you encounter 
great temptation, or on any account need his aid for the good 
of your soul. Pray too for the priests ; asking fervently of 
God, particularly on Ember Days, to give to his Church faith- 
ful pastors. Jesus himself commands it, saying, The harvest 
indeed is great, but the laborers are few : pray ye therefore the 
Lord of the harvest t/tat he send forth laborers into his harvest 
(Matt. ii. 37, 38 ; Luke x. 2). Finally, should you see a bad 
priest, consider that the priesthood is to be honored even in 
such as he, and be not scandalized, but remember what Jesus 
said, Whatever they shall say to you, observe and do / but ac- 
cording to their works do ye not, for they say and do not 
(Matt, xxiii. 3). 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 533 



,£onrteent!) Stmbat) after Pentecost. 

At the Introit of the Mass, join with the priest in awaking 
a fervent desire for heaven, by the words of the 83d Psalm. 
Behold, God, our protector, and look on the face of thy 
Christ ; for better is one day in thy courts, above thousands. 
How lovely are thy tabernacles, Lord of hosts ! My soul 
longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord. Glory be to 
the Father. 

Prayer. 

Preserve thy Church, we beseech thee, O Lord, with per- 
petual mercy, and since without thee mortal man goes astray, 
may we be ever withheld by thy grace from what is hurtful, 
and directed to what is profitable. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Gal. v. 16-24.) 

Brethren : "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lusts 
of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit: and the Spirit 
against the flesh; for these are contrary one to another: so that 
you do not the things that you would. But if you are led by the 
Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are 
manifest, which are, fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, 
idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, emulations, wraths, quar- 
rels, dissensions, sects, envies, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and 
such like. Of the which I foretell you, as I have foretold to you, 
that they who do such things, shall not obtain the kingdom of God. 
But the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, 
goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity. 
Against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's, have cruci- 
fied their flesh, with the vices and concupiscences. 

What is it to walk in the Spirit ? 

It is, in all things, and at all times, to follow the inspirations 
of the Holy Spirit ; and accordingly, not merely to abstain 
from the works of the flesh — fornication, and such like — but 
rather to crucify the flesh and its lusts, and earnestly to aspire 
after those fruits which the Holy Ghost produces in men, such 



534 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

as charity, peace, and joy. So shall we belong to Christ, and 
become partakers of eternal life. 

Is it not wonderful that all Christians desire to belong to 
Christ, and to be heirs of his kingdom, but are unwilling to 
crucify the flesh with its vices and concupiscences, and to de- 
stroy its lusts, as if believing this to be required only of the 
clergy — whereas it is to all Christians that Christ says, If any 
man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up 
his cross and follow me. 

Aspiration. 

Pray for me, O Saint Paul, that God may give me grace to 
crucify my flesh, with its vices and concupiscences, that with 
thee I may become a partaker of the kingdom of Christ. 

Gospel. (Matt. vi. 24-33.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples : No man can serve two 
masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other : or he 
will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God 
and mammon. Therefore I say to you, be not solicitous for your life, 
what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall put on. Is not 
the life more than the meat, and the body more than the raiment? 
Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, 
nor gather into barns : and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are 
not you of much more value than they? And which of you by 
taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? And for raiment 
why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field, how they 
grow: they labor not, neither do they spin. But I say to you, that 
not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. And 
if the grass of the field, which is to-day, and to-morrow is cast into 
the oven, God doth so clothe: how much more you, O ye of little 
faith? Be not solicitous therefore, saying: What shall we eat, or 
what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? For after 
all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that 
you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the king- 
dom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto 
you. 

What is meant by serving God ? 

Doing the will of God in all things which he requires of us, 
as men, as Christians, as citizens, whatever state of life we 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 535 

may be placed in, and doing this with fidelity, with unwearied 
zeal, and out of love to him. 

Who are the two masters whom we cannot serve at the 
same time ? 

God and worldly gain ; that is, if our hearts are inordinately 
set upon that. One cannot serve both, because they demand 
things that are contradictory. For instance, God forbids 
usury and stealing, to which an inordinate love for the goods 
of the world carries one. God commands the observance of 
Sundays and holidays, but desire of worldly gain induces men 
to neglect the divine service, and disturbs them even in church ; 
so that while present in body, they are absent in their minds, 
which are gone after their worldly affairs. 

Who are they that serve Mammon, or worldly wealth ? 

The avaricious, who, impelled by their longing for riches, 
offend God by manifold transgressions of his commandments, 
do frequent injustices to their neighbors, allow themselves no 
rest or repose, and neither concern themselves with God nor 
heavenly things. 

Why does Christ refer us to the birds of the air and the 
lilies of the field? 

To awaken in us confidence in the Divine Providence. In 
truth, if God feeds the young ravens (Ps. clxvi. 9) and the 
birds of the air, who neither sow nor reap, nor gather into 
barns ; if he decks so beautifully the flowers of the field, how 
much more will he not care for men, whom he has created 
after his own image, and adopted as his children ? How care- 
fully will not a man provide for a beast that is dear to him ? 
And shall God, the Almighty, and All-good, who cares so 
lovingly for all his creatures, to whom all our wants are known 
before we cry to him for help — shall he forget us, his children? 
Will he refuse nourishment to the bodies which he has given 
us ? Let us trust, therefore, at all times, in the Lord, and he 
who hears the cry of the young ravens, will also hear us in the 
time of our need, if we at other times obey his commandments. 

Are we, then, to use no care or labor ? 

That by no means follows, from what has been said. The 
Saviour forbids only that anxiousness, proceeding from little 



536 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

faith, which, in striving for a maintenance, neglects God's 
honor and commandments, and the good of one's soul. For 
the rest, God himself has laid upon man the command, that 
he must labor (Gen. hi. 17-19) ; and St. Paul says, If any 
man will not work, neither let him eat (2 Thess. iii. 10). In 
forbidding that faithless and excessive anxiety, he forbids only 
what would be of no more use to us than if by taking thought 
one should seek to add a cubit to his stature. 

What should preserve us from excessive anxiety ? 

A firm and living faith that God can and will help us. That 
he can is clear, because he is almighty ; that he will is certain, 
for the reason that he is love — that he has promised it to us, 
more than once, most expressly, and that he is faithful in keep- 
ing his promises. 2. The thought that God has given us his 
only-begotten Son. What should he deny us that spared not 
his own Son, but delivered him up for us all? (Rom. viii. 32.) 
3. Our own method of acting. We often intrust to the 
fidelity and love of men the dearest things we have ; as our 
life, our goods, our honor. ' How much more, then, should we 
in all things trust to the fidelity, the goodness, and the love of 
our Almighty Father, who loves us more than a mother loves 
her child (Ps. lxix. 15); who makes his sun to rise upon the 
good and bad (Matt. v. 45), and who has promised, in the gos- 
pel of to-day, that all things shall be added unto us if we seek 
first the kingdom of God and his justice; that is, when, above 
all things, we strive to become more and more acquainted with 
the doctrine of Christ, to follow it with greater strictness, and 
to make it known to others, both by precept and example. 

Let us, then, trust in God, and daily renew our confidence in 
him, particularly when we say the Creed, or when, in the Our 
Father, we pray, " Give us this day our daily bread." 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, give me a steadfast trust in thy divine providence, 
and daily increase the same in me, that in all necessities I may 
firmly believe that by seeking first the kingdom of God and 
his justice, all the necessaries of life will be added unto me. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 537 

Consolation in Poverty. 
" Be not solicitous for your life." — Matt. vi. 25. 

If you have been made poor by war, deluge, fire, or any 
other calamity, or finally, by your own fault, still, in any case, 
be consoled by the consideration that God has sent you this 
poverty for your good, for good things and evil^ life and 
death, poverty and riches, are from God (Ecclus ix. 14) ; and 
shall there be evil which the Lord hath not done f (Amos iii. 6.) 
Receive it, therefore, from the hand of the Lord, without im- 
patience or murmuring, as a medicine for the soul, that you in 
all likelihood need, lest by temporal prosperity you should 
have been led to forget God, and to cling too much to worldly 
goods ; for riches have brought many to eternal ruin. But if 
you have lived in gluttony, impurity, and pride of dress, be- 
think yourself that the poverty into which God has suffered you 
to feel is a just punishment therefor, and thank him for having 
dealt with you so graciously. And is it not better for you to 
suffer for a short time in the world than to hunger and thirst 
eternally in hell ? 

But if you are innocent, still console yourself by the exam- 
ple of the saints, of whom St. Paul says, that they took with 
joy the being stripped of their own goods, knowing that they 
had a better and lasting snbsta?ice in heaven (Heb. x. 34). 
But especially should you take courage from the example of 
Christ, who, being rich, became poor for our sakes (2 Cor. yiii. 
9), and had not upon earth where to lay his head (Matt. viii. 
20). In your misery and poverty, say often, with Job : Naked 
came I out of my mothers womb, and naked shall I return 
thither ; the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away / as 
it hath pleased the Lord, so it is done / blessed be the name of 
the Lord (Job i. 21, 22). Fear not, my son, says Tobias ( Tob. 
iv. 23) ; we lead indeed a poor life, but we shall have many 
good things if we fear God and depart from all sin, and do 
that which is good. To serve God, and to be contented witli 
little brings you, therefore, rich gain ; while they who have 
served riches, as they brought nothing into this world, so 
also shall they carry nothing out of it, except their evil works, 

23- 



538 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

and the punishment which they have thereby deserved 
(1 Tim. vi. 6, 7). 

Practical Lessons against Usury. 

" You cannot serve God and mammon." — Matt. vi. 24. 

To practice usury is to demand from one's neighbor, to 
whom one has furnished a loan, or who has otherwise become 
indebted to one, more than the customary interest, or the 
amount of the debt ; or to oblige him, as the condition of a 
required loan, to give his note for more than he receives. 
They too, are usurers, who for the sake of their gains, make 
out a fictitious scarcity, in order to raise the price of goods 
above what is right. This is a mortal sin. God has threat- 
ened usurers with everlasting death (Ezech. xviii. 13) ; and 
Christ says, expressly: Do good, and lend, hoping for nothing 
thereby (Luke vi. 35 ; Exodus xxii. 25). Besides, usurers are 
indeed the leeches of the poor, sucking out, as it were, their 
sweat and blood. Finally, it is against the law of nature to 
take advantage of the poverty and need of our neighbor to en- 
rich ourselves ; still more is it against the law of God, which 
commands us to love our neighbor, and in his need to be to 
him the Good Samaritan. Would that usurers might bethink 
themselves of what the Lord says: What doth it profit a man 
if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul? 
(Matt. xxi. 26.) 



JFifteentl) Sunba^ after Pentecost. 

The Introit of the Mass is a fervent prayer from the 85th 
Psalm, which may be said in any need or adversity. JBow 
down thine ear, Lord, to me and hear me / save thy servant, 
my God, that trusteth in thee ; have mercy on me, Lord, 
for I have cried to thee all day. Give joy to the soul of thy 
servant, for to thee, Lord, have L lifted up my soid. Glory 
be to the Father. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 539 

Prayer. 

May continued mercy purify and defend thy Church, O 
Lord ; and since without thee it cannot remain safe, may it 
ever be governed by thy bounty. Through Christ our Lord. 

Epistle. (Gal. v. 25, 26 ; vi. 1-10.) 

Brethren : If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let 
us not be made desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying 
one another. Brethren, and if a man be overtaken in any fault, you, 
who are spiritual, instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness, con- 
sidering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's 
burdens : and so you shall fulfil the law of Christ. For if any man 
think himself to be something, whereas he is nothing, he deceiveth 
himself. But let every one prove his own work, and so he shall have 
glory in himself only, and not in another. For every one shall bear 
his own burden. And let him that is instructed in the word commu- 
nicate to him that instructeth him, in all good things. Be not de- 
ceived, God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those 
also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also 
shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit 
shall reap life everlasting. And in doing good, let us not fail. For 
in due time we shall reap, not failing. Therefore, whilst wo have 
time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of 
the household of the faith. 

Explanation and Brief Lessons. 

This epistle is a continuation of that of the last Sunday, 
taken from the epistle of the holy Apostle to the Galatians, in 
which, after having shown the insufficiency of the Jewish law, 
and that they could be saved only by the works of faith, he 
incites them to the performance of those works. They ought 
accordingly to practice, with diligence, humility and charity, 
as being the foundation of the Christian life. Humility should 
teach and admonish them to think little of themselves — to shun 
self-confidence and vainglory ; charity should incite them, on 
the other hand, to be meek, loving, compassionate, and kind 
to every man, even to sinners ; to administer correction to the 
erring only with charity/for if this were done with an imperti- 



540 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

nent and insolent zeal, they would not only fail to correct of- 
fenders, but would themselves fall into the same temptations 
and sins ; for God, by a common and just judgment, allows 
the proud, who look down upon others' sins, to fall into sin 
themselves, that they may learn to be humble, and to have 
compassion upon those who have gone astray. It is a lesson 
of the greatest importance, that we should not allow ourselves 
to believe that any thing contrary to what the Apostle has 
here taught, may be done or omitted without harm. This 
would be mere delusion, for the acceptance of the evangelical 
law binds us also to the obligations therein contained. By it 
God will judge each one of us ; for what things a man shall 
sow, those also he shall reap. 

Aspiration. 

O Saint Paul, procure for me, by your prayers, the grace of 
God, that I may continually walk in humility, may always love 
my neighbor, and, in particular, may bear with patience his 
faults and frailties, that so I may fulfil the law of God, and 
reap an abundant harvest. 

Gospel. (Luke vii. 11-16.) 

At that time : Jesus went into a city that is called Nairn ; and 
there went with him his disciples, and a great multitude. And when he 
came nigh to the gate of the city, hehold a dead man was carried out, 
the only son of his mother; and she was a widow : and a great mul- 
titude of the city was with her. Whom when the Lord had seen, 
being moved with mercy towards her, he said to her : "Weep not. 
And he came near and touched the bier. (And they that carried it 
stood still.) And he said : Young man, I say to thee, Arise. And he 
that was dead sat up and began to speak. And he gave him to his 
mother. And there came a fear on them all : and they glorified God, 
saying: A great prophet is risen up among us : and God hath visited 
his people. 

Why did Christ have compassion on this widow ? 

To show us that God takes forsaken and afflicted widows 
under his care, and becomes himself their comforter and helper, 
and to teach us that we should do likewise. Woe to those 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 541 

who oppress them, and force them to tears; for the tears of 
the widows and their cry will ascend to God, who shall punish 
the injury done to them (Exod. xxii. 22, 23). 

Christ had, however, still other grounds for Ins compassion ; 
for he foresaw in this dead youth of Nairn the death of the sin- 
ner, and in the affliction of the mother, the grief which the 
Church would suffer over the spiritual loss of so many children. 
Should not this move our compassion also ? Can we be chil- 
dren of the Church, if the death of her children, our brothers 
and sisters, goes not to our hearts ? And yet, after all, what, 
do we do ? We see daily a multitude of souls die the death 
of sin, and that the Church, who could not preserve them 
therefrom, accompanies them to the grave with sighs and 
tears ; but so far are we from weeping with her, that we go 
gayly on, and the perdition of so many souls gives us no care. 
We bewail the bodily death of our parents and friends, and 
would, if possible, prevent it at any cost ; but at the spiritual 
death of our brethren we weep not, we pray not, although 
thereby we might preserve so many, ourselves included, in 
spiritual life, or prevail upon the all-merciful God to restore 
that life to many. Is not this an evident token that we love 
neither God nor our neighbor ? Let us, then, take to heart 
the misery of the sinner, and rescue him by our prayers and 
sighs. 

Why did Christ say to this widow, Weep not f 

He meant thereby to intimate that he would restore to her 
her son, and at the same time to teach us that we should not 
mourn and weep to excess for the dead. St. Paul therefore 
admonishes us not to be sorrowful in regard to the dead, as 
others who have no hope of resurrection (l Thess. iv. 12). 
Tears cannot bring the dead to life. That they are treed from 
the miseries of life, and are with God, should gladden rather 
than grieve us. In fine, a patient submission to the providence 
of God, quiet and continued prayer, and other good works, 
will be of more use to us and to the dead, than to shed a whole 
ocean of tears. 

Why did Christ command the bearers to stand still ? 

It was his design thereby to awaken their confidence, and 



542 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

to put it beyond doubt that the resurrection of the dead pro- 
ceeded from him. This should teach us that a soul that is 
dead cannot be restored to life, so long as the passions which 
have caused its death, and borne it, as it were, to the grave, 
are not brought to a stop ; for so long as the angry man does 
not cease from his anger, his cursing and swearing, the un- 
chaste from his impurity, the drunkard from his excess, but 
they continue in their sins, their souls can never be restored to 
the life of grace. 

What more do we learn from this gospel? 

That no one, however young, is safe from death ; and that 
every one, therefore, should be always prepared for it. 

What is often the reason of early death with young per- 
sons ? 

1. Surfeiting and intemperance; for by surfeiting and in- 
temperance more perish than by the sword (Ecclus. xxxvii. 34). 
2. Unchasteness (in regard to which, see the Second Sunday 
after Pentecost). 3. Anger: Anger hilleth the foolish (Job v. 
2) . Envy and anger shorten a man's days, and pensiveness 
will bring age before the time (Ecclus. xxx. 26). If you bite 
and devour one another, take heed you be not consumed one of 
another (Gal. v. 15). From irritating and provoking speeches, 
young pei'sons usually proceed to strife and blows, and not 
unfrequently to murder itself. 4. Disobedience. We have 
dreadful examples to show that God has taken out of the 
world, early and suddenly, disobedient children ; for instance, 
Absalom. Not without reason does God say to children: 
Honor thy father and mother, as the Lord thy God hath com- 
manded thee, that thou may est live a long time, and it may 
be well with thee in the land (Deut. v. 16). 

On Death. 
Certain it is that we shall die, but uncertain the hour of our 
death. Would that we might never forget this truth ; that 
we might earnestly think of it every day ! How soon, then, 
would our lives become different! For would not such 
thoughts fill us with salutary fear, restrain our passions, 
strengthen us in temptations, and incite us to virtue ? Suppose 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 543 

there were shut up in one prison a hundred persons, under 
sentence of death, yet ignorant of the day and the hour of 
their execution ; when, from among them, one after another, 
and often the one least expected, was taken out for death, 
would not each one's heart tremble at the opening of the 
prison door ? Now, there is hanging over us all an unaltera- 
ble sentence of death. Our bodies are the prisons in which 
we are confined. One after another is called out to die. 
Should we not, then, keep ourselves always ready, and with 
fear and trembling work our salvation ? But who regards 
this ? We live as if we were to live forever : we think only of 
the body, but take no more care for the soul than to load it 
with sins and vices. But is this reasonable ? Is it not foolish 
and rash, all one's life long, to care only for the body, and to 
neglect the soul ? 

Remember, O man, says St. Francis of Sales, that at the 
hour of thy death the world, for thee, will come to an end : the 
honors, the pleasures, the riches which you have enjoyed in 
it, will then vanish like phantoms and smoke, leaving you 
nothing but the too late sorrow, that you should have sought 
those things with such longing, and for the sake of them 
should have neglected the care of your soul — your eternal sal- 
vation. 

Then you will learn to value and desire to perform the re- 
pentance, the good works which in life you neglected ; while 
the sins which you regarded as nothing will appear to you 
huge as mountains. 

What, then, will the soul feel, if it must part from its body, 
so foolishly loved ; must leave all its vain amusements, its so- 
cieties, its friends, and go forth all alone, without any com- 
panion, into the unknown, terrible, fearful land of eternity ? 
There it will find no friend, since it secured none on earth, but 
in God, whom it has made an enemy, it will encounter an inex- 
orable, severe judge ; and in the angels and saints, yes, and in 
the devils, will find most formidable accusers. Dost thou not 
shudder to think of this? Have mercy, then, on thine own 
soul. Oh, keep thyself in readiness ; so live that thou mayest 
have no reason to lear death. Do, in thy lifetime, what in the 



544 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

hour of death you will wish that you had done. Die daily, 
with St. Paul, by crucifying the flesh with its desires and 
lusts, and by voluntarily loosening thy heart from the world, 
its goods, and its vanities, before death does this for you by 
violence. In time of temptation and passion, think of these 
truths, and resist ; then, to die, will not be too hard for thee. 

Aspiration. 

I must one day die ! How then can I live on so carelessly ? 
How so cling to the world, which I must leave ? Never again 
shall this be ! And you, my dear friends and relatives, will I in 
future love only with a love and affection sanctified and directed 
to God ; such as shall not cease in death, but, like God him- 
self, shall last for eternity. 

Instruction on the Ceremonies of the Catholic Church at 
Burials. 

" Behold, a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother: and a great 
multitude of the city were with her." — Luke vii. 12. 

From the people who thus accompanied the corpse of the 
young man, we should learn to pay the last honors to the 
dead, and to follow their bodies to the grave. This is a meri- 
torious work, acceptable to God, when done, not out of vanity 
or self-interest, but for the honor of God, and with the chari- 
table intention of helping the dead by prayer. It is therefore 
very wrong to keep up on the way only idle talk, and to have 
no thought for the dead. 

Why is the cross carried before the corpse ? 

To signify that the deceased confessed Christ crucified, and 
departed this life, believing hi him, and hoping to rise again 
through him. 

Why are lighted candles placed around and carried before 
the coffin ? 

To signify that we pray the deceased may have eternal light. 
This custom is very old ; for St. Cyprian, who was beheaded 
for Christ's sake about sixteen hundred years ago, was carried 
to his grave with lights and chanting. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 545 

Why are the coffin and grave sprinkled with holy water ? 

In token that the Church desires for the deceased the com- 
fort of God's grace, since, on account of sins not completely 
atoned for, he may yet have to suffer in purgatory. 

Why are the corpse and the grave incensed ? 

To signify that the deceased, according to his Christian vo- 
cation, had been a good odor of Christ (2 Cor. ii. 14, 15), and 
to remind the faithful, that their prayers and good works 
should, like the incense, go up to heaven for the deceased. 

Why are the psalms, Miserere and Benedicite, sung ? 

1. To obtain from God remission of those sins and penalties 
for which, perhaps, there has been as yet no satisfaction made. 
2. To encourage those present to prayer. 3. To remind us of 
the teaching of St. Paul, that we should not be sorrowful on 
account of the dead, as others who have no hope of eternal 
life. 4. Thereby, also, we declare that we esteem the departed 
happy, on account of the rest of which henceforth they are 
made partakers (Apoc. xiv. 13). 

This usage also descends to us from the Apostles, who buried 
St. Stephen with the singing of psalms and of hymns (St. 
Jerome, Ep. 53). 

Why are the bells rung at funerals? 

To call the faithful to prayer for the dead ; for adults, that 
they may obtain eternal rest ; for children, to thank God that 
he has delivered them from all dangers and temptations, and 
received them into his heavenly kingdom. 

Why is the corpse buried in the earth ? 

1. Our bodies are members of Christ, and temples of the 
Holy Ghost. It is proper therefore, even after death, to keep 
them sacred, and to guard them against any dishonor by men 
or by beasts. 2. By this interment men are reminded whence 
they came. 3. The lap of earth is the fittest place to lay the 
body, which, like the grain of corn, waits for the time of its 
rising again. 

Why is a cross or headstone erected over the grave ? 

To point out that here lies the body of a Christian and a 
brother, and to remind us of our friend, that we may remem- 
ber him in our prayers. 



64-6 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



0i^teentf) Snnbat} after Pentecost. 

At the Introit of the Mass, supplicate, with great confidence, 
the mercy of God. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I have 
cried to thee cdl the day / for thou, Lord, art sweet, and 
mild, and plenteous in mercy, to all that call upon thee (Ps. 
lxxxv.) Bow down thy ear to me, Lord, and hear me, for 
lam needy and poor. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

May thy grace, O Lord, ever precede and follow us, and 
make us ever intent upon good works. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Eph. iii. 13-21.) 

Brethren : I pray you not to faint at my tribulations for you, which 
is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, of whom all paternity in heaven and earth is 
named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, 
to be strengthened by his Spirit with might unto the inward man. 
That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts: that being rooted and 
founded in charity, you may be able to comprehend, with all the 
saints, what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth. To 
know also what is the charity of Christ, which surpasseth all knowl- 
edge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God. Now to him 
who is able to do all things more abundantly than we desire or under- 
stand, according to the power that worketh in us: to him be glory in 
the Church, and in Christ Jesus, unto all generations, world without 
end. Amen. 

Explanation. 

St. Paul was in prison at Rome when he wrote this epistle, 
and was anxious lest the Ephesians might think that the faith, 
the proclaimers of which were thus persecuted, was not from 
God. He therefore exhorts them to remain firm in their be- 
lief; assures them that his sufferings would be for their glory, 
if they remained as firm as he ; and prays that they may be 
enlightened to know the love of God — that is, what Christ had 
done and suffered for us. Hence we learn to ask earnestly of 
God grace to understand the mysteries of faith. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 547 

What does St. Paul mean by the breadth, length, height, 
and depth which the Ephesians may be able to comprehend ? 

The mysteries of redemption through Christ, the breadth of 
which is, that God has designed redemption to be for all men ; 
the length, that the work of redemption is to be efficacious 
throughout every age, till the consummation of the world ; the 
height, that redemption separates us from the world, leading 
us to heaven ; the depth, that the work of salvation penetrates 
even the kingdom of death, delivering souls from purgatory. 
Tims St. John Chrysostom explains these scriptural expres- 
sions. The breadth of charity is that which extends it so 
widely as to love even its enemies. Its length is the patience 
with which it bears every hindrance thrown in the way of its 
practising good works. Its height is the loftiness of that hope 
which does not expect, for the good works it practices, any 
thing that passes away, but an eternal reward in heaven. And 
finally, its depth is the impenetrable mystery in which is de- 
termined the unmerited distribution of grace, which is only 
given according to the dispensation of God's eternal will, un- 
known to men. 

Aspiration. 

Heavenly Father, according to the example of St. Paul, I 
humbly pray for all of us, that thy spirit, thy knowledge, thy 
charity, may be deeply implanted in us, that thou mayest pos- 
sess our hearts, and that we, filed with all the fullness of thy 
grace, may serve thee more perfectly, and give the thanks 
forever. 



(Luke xiv.1-11.) 

At that time : When Jesus went into the house of one of the chief 
of the Pharisees, on the sabbath-day, to eat bread, they watched him. 
And behold there was a certain man before him that had the dropsy. 
And Jesus answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying : Is 
it lawful to heal on the sabbath-day? Bnt they held their peace. 
But he, taking him, healed him, and sent him away. And answering 
them, he said : "Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fall into a pit, 
and will not immediately draw him out on the sabbath-day? And 
they could not answer him to these things. And he spoke a parable 
also to them that were invited, marking how they chose the first seats 



54:8 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

at the table, saying to them : When thou art invited to a wedding, sit 
not down in the first place, lest perhaps one more honorable than thou 
be invited by him: and he that invited thee and him, come and say 
to thee, Give this man place: and then thou begin with shame, to 
take the lowest place. But when thou art invited, go ; sit down in 
the lowest place: that when he who invited thee cometh, he may say 
to thee : Friend, go up higher. Then shalt thou have glory before 
them that sit at table with thee. Because every one that exalteth 
himself shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself shall be 
exalted. 

Why did Jesus eat with the Pharisees ? 

That he might have an opportunity to convert them. So 
should we zealously take advantage of every occasion of doing 
good, and make use of the intercourse w T hich we may happen to 
have with our erring brethren, to bring them into the right way. 

Why did the Pharisees watch Jesus so closely ? 

To discover something in him on account of which they 
might censure and accuse him. How malicious ! — and yet how 
like them are those Christians who watch every step of their 
neighbors, and particularly of priests, only to find something 
for which to blame them, and represent them as evil persons ! 

Who is, spiritually, like the man with the dropsy ? 

The avaricious man ; for as a dropsical person never is satis- 
fied with drinking, so the avaricious man never has enough ; 
and like the dropsy, too, avarice is hard to cure, since it grows 
worse with age, and commonly does not leave a man till he 
comes to the grave. 

Why is avarice reckoned among the seven deadly sins ? 

Because it is the root of many evils (1 Tim. vi. 10) ; for it 
leads to usury, theft, the use of false weights and measures, to 
the retaining of unjustly gotten goods, to the oppression of the 
poor, of widows and orphans, to the denial and suppression of 
justice, to apostasy from the faith, and to despair; as was the 
case, for example, with Judas. Hence the Apostle says (1 Tim. 
vi. 9) : For they that will become rich fall into temptation, 
and into tJw sjiares of the devil, and into many unprofitable 
and hurtful desires, which drown men into destruction and 
perdition. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 549 

There is not a more wicked thing than to love money, for 
such an one setteth even his own soul to sale (Ecclus. x. 10). 
Oh, how many ruin themselves by not restoring their ill-gotten 
gains ! 

An efficacious remedy for avarice is the consideration that 
we are only the stewards, and not the owners of our goods, of 
which we can take nothing with us at the hour of our death 
(1 Tim. vi. 7) ; and that one day God will require of us a strict 
account of what we have had. 

[On Pride and Humility, see Instructions for the Tenth and 
Eleventh Sundays after Pentecost.] 

Instruction on keeping holy Sundays and Holy-days of 
Obligation. 

"Is it lawful to heal on the sa bbath-day ?" — Luke xiv. 3. 

Why did Christ ask this question ? 

The Jews, and particularly the Pharisees, were so supersti- 
tious in regard to keeping the Sabbath, that they considered 
it to be desecrated by the very least labor ; as, for example, 
by plucking a few ears of grain to eat : and they counted it a 
sin even to do a good work on that day ; for which reason 
they would not acknowledge Jesus, who had healed the sick 
on the Sabbath-day, as their Messias. 

To point out to them how the commandment to sanctify the 
Sabbath-day was to be understood, he put the above question 
to them, and forthwith healed the sick man. Thereby he has 
taught us how to ~keep holy the Sunday, which comes in place 
of the Sabbath, and other holy-days. 

How, then, must we sanctify the Sundays and holy-days ? 

As the third commandment enjoins, according to the expla- 
nation and example of Jesus : that is, on Sundays and holy- 
days we must not only abstain from servile labor, but we must, 
as far as possible, attend the whole divine service, both in the 
forenoon and afternoon ; for God has not said thou shalt be 
idle on the Sabbath-day, but thou shalt sanctify the Sabbath- 
day. One readily sees that it is not sanctified when one only 
attends a short mass, and spends the rest of the day in idle- 



550 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ness, in domestic affairs, in amusements. We ought therefore 
to attend the whole divine service ; hear the word of God, and 
practice good works, according to the example of Jesus Christ. 
That we should hear God's word, and attend vespers and 
catechism in the afternoon, has always been the will of the 
Church. Accordingly, from the earliest times, the explanation 
of the gospel and preaching have been connected with the sac- 
rifice of the Mass, andit has been enjoined that we should at- 
tend the parish services always, if practicable, and at least once 
a month. And how reasonable is this! Should not every 
Catholic openly profess his belief? Is it not his duty to show 
to the whole congregation a good and edifying example ? Is 
it not just to devote at least one day to the honor of God, and 
the salvation of one's soul ? 

Many are ignorant of the state of their souls, and are at 
a loss what to accuse themselves of when they go to confes- 
sion : would it not be a good thing if such persons on Sun- 
days would think of their condition, would examine their dis- 
orders and frailties, would search out their causes, and con- 
sider the means of removing them? Oh, how much would 
they then find to confess, to amend, to atone for! But 
if we should not be able alone to occupy ourselves with 
such thoughts, might we not supply our inability by reading 
spiritual books ; by holding and attending religious conversa- 
tions ; by asking advice of our confessors and pastors ? But 
instead of this, what do we do ? The Sundays and holy-days 
are spent in idleness, in dressing, in trifling talk, in 3 ying and 
selling, in playing and dancing, in drinking, and perhaps in 
other things still worse, without the least uneasiness of con- 
science, without any thing to accuse one's self of! But will 
God suffer those who desecrate his holy day to go unpunished ? 
No : he shall cover them with disgrace and scorn (Mai. ii. 3), 
and shall send upon them all the evils of the time. And will 
it fare better with them in eternity ? Let this then be a warn- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 551 



Aspiration. 

O most meek Jesus, grant us grace ever so to live that we 
may be justly reproached by no one, and that we may spend 
the rest of the Sabbath in the performance of good works. 
Amen. 



Seventeenth Sunban after Pentecost. 

At the Introit of the Mass, praise the justice and mercy of 
God. Thou art just, Lord, and thy judgment is right. 
Deal with thy servant according to thy mercy (Ps. cxviii.) 
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of 
the Lord. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Grant to thy people, we beseech thee, O Lord, to avoid the 
contagion of the devil, and with a pure mind to seek thee, the 
only God. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Eph. iv. 1-6.) 

Brethren : As a prisoner in the Lord, I beseech yon that you walk 
worthy of the vocation in which you are called, with all humility and 
mildness, with patience, supporting one another in charit} T , careful to 
keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. One body and one 
Spirit: as you are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one 
faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and 
through all, and in us all, who is blessed forever and ever. Amen. 

Practice. 

Every Christian must, according to his holy religion, think, 
speak, and act modestly and humbly. Learn from me, he- 
cause I am meek and humble of heart (Matt. xi. 29). Thus 
it will become easy to bear the faults of others, and to preserve 
peace, particularly in the house, or in the parish. Selfishness, 
stubbornness, and pride must be laid aside. They are unbe- 



552 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

coming a Christian. The words, One Lord, one faith, one 
baptism, one God and Father of all, confound those who as- 
sert that a man may be saved in any belief. There can be but 
one true religion ; they w T ho profess it should be united by the 
bond of charity, and their lives be worthy of their vocation to 
the true faith. 



Instruction on the Faith by which alone we can be saved. 

" One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all." — Eph. iv. 5, 6. 

These words of the Apostle show clearly that it is not all the 
same whether we profess this or that creed — this or that re- 
ligion — although in our age, so barren of faith, there are many 
so-called enlightened persons who continually assert that it 
matters not what religion we are of, if only we believe in God, 
and live honestly. What an impious assertion ! Consider, 
Christian, that there is but one God, and this one God has sent 
but one Redeemer, and this one Redeemer has taught but one 
doctrine, and has established but one Church. Had it been 
the will of God that there should be more churches than one, 
Jesus would have said it ; he would have established them ; 
nay, it would not, in that case, have been necessary for him to 
teach a new doctrine, and to institute the Christian Church, 
for the Jews all believed in God. But Jesus set aside both 
Paiganism and Judaism, promulgating one new doctrine — estab- 
lishing one new Church. He never speaks of churches, but of 
one Church. He says that we should hear that Church, but 
does not add that if we hear not this Church, we should hear 
some other. He speaks of but one Shepherd, and but one 
fold, into which all men should be brought. In the same man- 
ner he speaks of one kingdom upon earth, as there is also but 
one kingdom of heaven ; of one father of the house, and one 
family; of one field, and one vineyard — by which he meant his 
Church ; of one rock on which he was to build his Church. On 
the day before his death, he prayed fervently to his Heavenly 
Father, that all those who believed in him might be and re- 
main one, as he and his Father are one ; and he gave to his 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 553 

Apostles the direct command to preach his Gospel to all na- 
tions, teaching them all things whatsoever he had commanded. 
This command the Apostles strictly fulfilled. Everywhere they 
preached but one and the same doctrine, establishing every- 
where Christian communities, which were all united by the 
bond of one and the same faith. They were particularly care- 
ful to prevent divisions and schisms among the faithful ; giv- 
ing warning against heresies, commanding all heresies to be 
shunned, and anathematizing those who preached another gos- 
pel. As the Apostles had done, so also did their successors. 
The holy fathers all speak with ardent love of the necessary 
unity in faith, and deny any title to salvation to such as know- 
ingly persevere in separating from and dividing the true 
Church of Christ. 

Christian, learn hence that there is but one true Church. If 
there be but one true Church, it naturally follows that in it 
alone can we obtain salvation, and that to declare salvation at- 
tainable by any religion is false and impious. Jesus, who is 
the way, the truth, and the life, speaks of but one Church, 
which we must hear if we would be saved. Whoever does not 
hear the Church, he says, let him be to thee as the heathen and 
the publican. He further speaks of one fold, and promises 
eternal life only to those sheep who belong to this fold ; follow 
the voice of the Shepherd, and feed in his pasture. The Apos- 
tles also were convinced that only the one true Church could 
guide us to salvation. Without faith, writes St. Paul (Heb. 
xi. 6), it is impossible to please God, and this faith is one 
(Eph. iv. 5). Had the Apostles believed that we could be 
saved in any and every religion, they would not have insisted 
so much upon the unity of faith ; they would not have de- 
clared so solemnly that we should belong to Christ alone, re- 
ceiving and following only his doctrine. As the Apostles 
taught, so also taught their successors ; and all the holy fa- 
thers agree, that out of the Church there is no salvation. 
Thus writes St. Cyprian : " If any one out of the ark of Noe 
could hnve escaped, then he also who is out of the Church 
may find salvation." It follows, then, that there can be but 
one true religion or Church, in which we can be saved. 
24 



554: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

But what is this Church ? 

Certainly only the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church, for it 
alone was established by Jesus ; it alone was sprinkled with 
the blood of the Apostles and of thousands of martyrs; it 
alone possesses the marks of the true Church with which 
Christ promised to be, notwithstanding all the attacks of 
enemies, until the end of the world. Three hundred years 
ago, they who left the Catholic Church asserted, as their 
descendants do now, that it had fallen into errors, and no 
longer possessed the true Gospel of Christ : if this assertion 
were true, Christ himself would be the occasion of it, for he 
it was who established this Church, promising to be with it, 
and to govern it by his Spirit, until the end of the world. He 
would then either have broken his promise, or have been 
unable to fulfil it. But who dare say this? The Catholic 
Church, founded upon the Rock Peter, was the first Church, 
was founded by Christ himself: when and why has she fallen 
away from the truth and lost the pure Gospel ? No one can 
name the time when this took place, nor how it came to pass. 
On the other hand, the Church has already stood over 1800 
years, while the greatest and most powerful kingdoms have 
been destroyed, and the firmest thrones cast down. If she 
had not been established by Christ as the one, true, and sanc- 
tifying Church, how would it have been possible for her to 
endure so long, since Jesus expressly says (Matt. xv. 13), 
Every plant which my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall 
he rooted up. The Catholic Church would have perished long- 
ago had it not been the Church of Christ ; but at this day it 
yet stands, while its enemies who have opposed it have van- 
ished, and will continue to vanish ; for the gates of hell shall 
not prevail against it, says the Lord. This, his promise, he has 
kept, and will keep, notwithstanding all the hostility and calum- 
nies of implacable enemies. 

You see, therefore, Christians, that the Roman Catholic 
Church is the only true one ; the only one in which we can be 
saved. Do not, then, allow yourselves to be deceived by those 
who are neither cold nor warm, and who with those words — 
" We can be saved in any religion, if only we believe in God 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 555 

and live honestly" — try to destroy your faith, throwing you 
into the tempestuous waves of error and falsehood. Be firm 
in the doctrine that out of the Catholic Church there is 
no salvation, for thus Jesus, the Apostles, and the holy fathers 
have taught, and for this doctrine innumerable martyrs have 
shed their blood. Obey also the doctrine of the Church, be 
submissive to her appointments, use her means of grace, and 
often lift up your hearts and hands to heaven to give thanks 
for the invaluable benefit of being made a member of this one 
holy Church ; and forget not to pray for your erring brethren 
who are yet out of the pale of the Church, that the Lord may 
bring in them also, and that what he has promised be fulfilled — 
There shall be one shepherd and onefold. 

Gospel. (Matt. xxii. 35-4G.) 

At that time, the Pharisees came nigh to Jesus: and one of them, 
a doctor of the law, asked him, tempting him: Master, which is the 
great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him: Thou shalt 
love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole 
soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first 
commandment. And the second is like to this : Thou shalt love thy 
neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments dependeth the 
whole law and the prophets. And the Pharisees being gathered to- 
gether, Jesus asked them, saying: What think you of Christ? Whose 
son is he? They say to him : David's. He saith to them : How then 
doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying: "The Lord said to my 
Lord : Sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy foot- 
stool?" If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no 
man was able to answer him a word: neither durst any man from 
that day forth ask him any more questions. 

What is it to love God ? 

To acknowledge God as one's Lord, as the highest and most 
perfect good ; to place one's delight in him, and to desire that 
he should be known, honored, loved, by all men ; that his will 
should be fulfilled by all ; to refer all one's thoughts, desires, 
and actions to him ; and so zealously to observe his command- 
ments, that one would rather lose all the goods of life, and 
even life itself, than to transgress these commands and be sepa- 
rated from God. 



556 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

What does it mean to love God with the whole heart, &c. ? 
With thy whole heart, signifies with all the motions and in- 
clinations of the heart; with thy whole soul, with all the 
thoughts, conceptions of the soul ; with thy whole mind, with 
all the desires, wishes, and determination of the will ; with all 
thy strength, with all the powers and faculties of body and 
soul — with all the acts and motions of the senses. All these 
should be directed to God alone, as the last object and end of 
man. 

How can this be done ? 

By doing whatever we do, whether it be mental or manual 
labor, eating, drinking, or recreation, with the intention of 
doing what is the will of God, and what is pleasing to him. 
Herein is implied that idle talk, intemperance in meat and 
drink, and in general all sinful works, cannot be thus offered 
to God, because they are contrary to his will, and therefore 
deserve punishment. 

Is that true love which loves God because he does us good ? 

That love is truly good and praiseworthy, but not perfect, 
for self-interest creeps in with it. 

What, then, is the perfect love of God ? 

When we love God only because he is in himself the highest 
good, and most worthy of love. In such manner must we en- 
deavor to love God ; not out of self-interest, not from the ex- 
pectation of reward, nor yet from fear of punishment. 

Cannot fear then coexist with love ? 

Servile fear cannot, but childlike fear may ; for servile fear 
is rather a fear of punishment than a fear of offending God. 
But where such fear is, love cannot dwell ; and on the other 
hand, where love is this fear cannot enter, since he who truly 
loves God hopes for the forgiveness of his sins and the remis- 
sion of punishment. Thus love casts out fear (1 John iv. 18). 
But childlike fear is the fear of offending God. This fear leads 
to love, and is, in fact, the effect of love, and the beginning of 
wisdom (Ps. ex. 11). Let us cultivate diligently this fear, for 
it will drive away sin as a watchman expels the thief (Ecclus. 
i. 27). It will gladden our hearts with joy and pence, and on 
the day of our death bring us to a happy end (Ecclus. i. 12). 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 557 

What do we gain by loving God ? 

Every thing, for time and for eternity. For, if we love 
God, we are, 1. Loved by him (Rom. viii. 17). 2. He will 
come to us, and will make his abode with us (John xiv. 23). 
3. He Avill forgive us our sins ; for charity covers all sins (Prov. 
x. 12). 4. He will incite us to all virtues, and enrich us and fill 
our treasures (Prov. viii. 21). 5. He will defend us against all 
enemies, visible and invisible; and finally, 6. After a happy 
death, he will receive us into the kingdom of his love, where 
we shall be inebriated with the plenty of his house, and shall 
drink of the torrent of his pleasure (Ps. xxxv. 9) ; for the eye 
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the 
heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that 
love him (l Cor. ii. 9). 

How can we arrive at the perfect love of God ? 

1. By dwelling upon his infinite perfections; such as his 
goodness, his almightiness, his holiness, his justice, his omnis- 
cience. 2. By considering what God has done for us. 3. By 
frequently making acts of charity. 4. By fervent prayer. 
Such exercises and prayers are to be found in any prayer-book. 
[See Monday after Pentecost.] 

When must we practice this love of God ? 

1. So soon as we have arrived at the years of discretion. 
2. Whenever the devil, the world, and the flesh, by their false 
goods and pleasures, seek to divert us from the one only 
true Good. 3. Whenever we have had the misfortune of de- 
parting from God by mortal sin. 4. At receiving the holy 
sacraments. 5. On receiving any special benefit from God. 

6. When using food and drink, and other lawful pleasures. 

7. At beholding the creatures of God. 8. Every day; and, 
9. Especially on the day of our death. 

But can every one thus love God ? 

Yes ; for there is no state of life in which we cannot refer 
every thing to God. Love does not require great deeds ; but 
that we should avoid evil, and refer every thing to God ; and 
all can do this. 

[On the love of our neighbor, see Twelfth Sunday after 
Pentecost.] 



558 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Why is this commandment, to love God and our neighbor, 
called the great commandment ? 

Because in these two are contained all the others, so that he 
who fulfils these, fulfils the whole law. For whoever loves 
God with his whole heart, does not murmur against God ; 
does not dishonor his name by cursing and swearing ; does not 
desecrate the Sabbath-day, because he knows that all this is 
offensive to God. On the contrary, he hopes in God ; gives 
thanks and praise to God; sanctifies the Sundays and holy- 
days, because he knows this to be pleasing to God ; observes 
the precepts of the Church, because he knows it to be the will 
of God that he should hear the Church ; honors his parents ; 
does no injury to his neighbor ; does not commit adultery ; 
does not steal ; slanders no one ; bears no false witness ; pro- 
nounces no unjust judgment ; is not envious, malicious, unmer- 
ciful, but rather practices towards every one the corporal and 
spiritual works of mercy ; and all this, because out of love to 
God, he loves his neighbor as himself. Thus love fulfils all the 
commandments. 

What is the meaning of the question " What think you of 
Christ ?" 

Christ put this question to the Pharisees in order that, by 
their own answer, he might convince them that he was not 
merely a lineal son of David, but that he was the Son of God, 
begotten from eternity, on which account he called himself 
David's Lord. That Christ is the Son of God, our Lord, our 
Teacher, our Lawgiver, our Redeemer, and Saviour, we 
Christians know well, for we daily profess it ; but how many 
of us, in deeds, deny it, since we will not follow his teaching 
nor observe his commandments ! What, then, will Christ one 
day be to such? What but a judge to condemn, and a God 
to punish them. 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, rich in love, who hast so earnestly exhorted us to 
the love of God, and of our neighbor, engrave deep in our 
hearts, we pray thee, this commandment of love, that whatever 
we do or leave undone, all our thoughts, words, and works 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 559 

may begin and end in love of thee; and that no tribulation, 
temptation, or danger, nor even death itself, may ever separate 
us from thee. Grant, also, that out of love to thee we maj 
love our neighbor, whether friend or enemy, as ourselves, and 
by this love may deserve to have thee as a Saviour and merci- 
ful Judge. 



Epistle. (2 Esclras viii. 1-10.) 

In those days all the people were gathered together as one man to 
the street which is before the water-gate, and they spoke to Esdras the 
scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had 
commanded to Israel. Then Esdras the priest brought the law before 
the multitude of men and women, and all those that could understand, 
in the first day of the seventh month. And he read it plainly in the 
street that was before the water-gate, from the morning until mid-day, 
before the men, and the women, and all those that could understand : 
and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book. And Es- 
dras the scribe stood upon a step of wood, which he had made to 
speak upon, and there stood by him Mathathias, and Semeia, and Ania, 
and Uria, and Helcia, and Maasia, on his right hand : and on the left, 
Phadaia, Misael, and Melchia, and Hasum, and Hasbadana, Zacharia 
and Mosollam. And Esdras opened the book before all the people : 
for he was above all the people : and when he had opened it, all the 
people stood. And Esdras blessed the Lord the great God : and all 
the people answered, Amen, amen: lifting up their hands: and they 
bowed down, and adored God with their faces to the ground. Now 
Josue, and Bani, and Serebia, Jamin, Accub, Septhai, Odia, Maasia, 
Celita, Azarias, Jozabed, Hanan, Phalaia, the Levites, made silence 
among the people to hear the law : and the people stood in their place. 
And they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and plainly to 
be understood : and they understood when it was read. And Nehe- 
mias (he is Athersatha) and Esdras the priest and scribe, and the Le- 
vites who interpreted to all the people, said : This is a holy day to the 
Lord our God : do not mourn, nor weep : for all the people wept, 
when they heard the words of the law. And he said to them : Go, 
eat fat meats, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to them thai, 
have not prepared for themselves : because it is the holy day of the 
Lord, and be not sad : for the joy of the Lord is our strength. 



560 INSTKUCTIONS ON 



Aspiration. 

O Lord, send zealous priests, like Esdras into thy vineyard, 
the Church, and grant that we, with fervor like that ot thy 
people who listened to him, may hearken to thy word preached 
to us by thy minister the priest, and may repent sincerely of 
our sins ; thus seeking and finding in thee, our Lord, our only 
joy and strength. 

Gospel. (Mark ix. 16-28.) 

At that time, one of the multitude answering, said to Jesus : 
Master, I have brought my son to thee having a dumb spirit. Who, 
wheresoever he taketh him, dasheth him, and he foameth, and gnash- 
eth with the teeth, and pineth away : and I spoke to thy disciples to 
cast him out, and they could not. Who answering them, said: O in- 
credulous generation, how long shall I be with you ? how long shall I 
suffer you? bring him unto me. And they brought him. And when 
he had seen him, immediately the spirit troubled him ; and being 
thrown down upon the ground, he rolled about foaming. And he 
asked his father: How long time is it since this hath happened unto 
him? But he said: From his infancy: and often times hath he cast 
him into the fire and into waters to destroy him. But if thou canst 
do any thing, help us, having compassion on us. And Jesus saith to 
him : If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 
And immediately the father of the boy crying out, with tears said: I 
do believe, Lord ; help my unbelief. And when Jesus saw the multi- 
tude running together, he threatened the unclean spirit, saying to him : 
Deaf and dumb spirit, I command thee, go out of him : and enter not 
any more into him. And crying out, and greatly tearing him, he 
went out of him, and he became as dead, so that many said : He is 
dead. But Jesus taking him by the hand, lifted him up ; and he arose. 
And when he was come into the Louse, his disciples secretly asked 
him : Why could not we cast him out ? And he said to them : This 
kind can go out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. 

Practice. 

Every passion is a devil ; a tempter ; an enemy, who pos- 
sesses and torments man ; inciting him, now to this, now to 
that misdeed. Supplicate for deliverance. From such a dumb 
spirit we cannot be delivered but by prayer and fasting ; that 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 561 

is, by self-denial, by crucifying the body, by depriving our- 
selves of food, and by confident, ardent prayer. Go and do this. 

Prayer. 
Uphold, O Lord, our infirmity by the help of thy mercy, 
that what by itself must fall, may stand upright by thy clem- 
ency. Through Christ. 



(£mber iribag. 

Epistle. (Osee xiv. 2-10.) 

Thus saith the Lord God : Eeturn, O Israel, to the Lord thy God : 
for thou hast fallen down by thy iniquity. Take with you words, and 
return to the Lord, and say to him : Take away all iniquity, and re- 
ceive the good : and we will render the calves of our lips. Assyria 
shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say 
any more: The works of our hands are our gods : for thou wilt have 
mercy on the fatherless that is in thee. I will heal their breaches, I 
will love them freely : for my wrath is turned away from them. I 
will be as the dew, Israel shall spring as the lily, and his root shall 
shoot forth as that of Libanus. His branches shall spread, and his 
glory shall be as the olive-tree : and his smell as that of Libanus. 
They shall be converted that sit under his shadow : they shall live 
upon wheat, and they shall blossom as a vine: his memorial shall be 
as the wine of Libanus. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any 
more with idols? I will hear him, and I will make him flourish like 
a green fir-tree: from me is thy fruit found. Who is wise, and he 
shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know these 
things? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in 
them : but the transgressors shall fall in them. 

Explanation. 

The Prophet Osee, by the command of God, exhorts the 
people of Israel to penance, and seeks to move them by de- 
scribing the happiness thereby obtained. What blessing and 
what joy come from a sincere repentance, in life, and particu- 
larly in the hour of death ! 

The gospel is the same as for the feast of St. Magdalen. 

2-,« 



562 INSTKUCTIONS ON 

Prayer. 

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that while we keep 
these sacred solemnities with annual devotion, we may please 
thee both in body and mind. Through our Lord. 



(Snnber Saturbag. 

Epistle. (Hebrews ix. 2-12.) 

Brethren : There was a tabernacle made the first, wherein were the 
candlesticks, and the table, and the setting forth of loaves, which is 
called the Holy. And after the second veil, the tabernacle, which is 
called the Holy of Holies: having the golden censer, and the ark of 
the testament covered about on every part with gold, in which was 
the golden pot that had manna, and the rod of Aaron, that had blos- 
somed, and the tables of the testament. And over it were the cheru- 
bim of glory, overshadowing the propitiatory: of which it is not 
needful to speak now particularly. Now these things being thus 
ordered, into the first tabernacle the priests indeed always entered, 
accomplishing the offices of sacrifices. But into the second, the high- 
priest alone, once a year : not without blood, which he offereth for 
his own, and the people's ignorance: the Holy Ghost signifying this, 
that the way into the Holies was not yet made manifest, whilst the 
former tabernacle was yet standing. Which is a parable of the time 
present: according to which gifts and sacrifices are offered, which 
cannot, as to the conscience, make him perfect that serveth, only in 
meats and in drinks, and divers washings, and justices of the flesh laid 
on them until the time of correction. But Christ being come, an high- 
priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect taber- 
nacle not made with hand, that is, not of this creation : neither by 
the blood of goats, or of calves, but by his own blood, entered once 
into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption. 

Gospel. (Luke xiii. 6-17.) 

At that time Jesus spoke to the multitude this parable : A certain 
man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on 
it, and found none. And he said to the dresser of the vineyard : Be- 
hold for these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and I find 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 563 

none. Cut it down therefore; why cumbereth it the ground? But he 
answering said unto him: Lord, let it alone this year also, until I dig 
about it and dung it. And if happily it bear fruit: but if not, then 
after that thou shalt cut it down. And he was teaching in their syna- 
gogue on the sabbath. And behold there was a woman who had a 
spirit of infirmity eighteen years : and she was bowed together, neither 
could she look upwards at all. Whom when Jesus saw, he called her 
unto him, and said to her: Woman, thou art delivered from thy infir- 
mity. And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was 
made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue 
(being angry that Jesus had healed on the sabbath), answering said to 
the multitude : Six days there are wherein you ought to work. In 
them therefore come, and be healed ; and not on the sabbath-day. 
And. the Lord answering him, said : Ye hypocrites, doth not every 
one of you on the sabbath-day loose his ox or his ass from the manger, 
and lead them to water? And ought not this daughter of Abraham, 
whom satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this 
bond on the sabbath-day ? And when he said these things, all his ad- 
versaries were ashamed : and all the people rejoiced for all the things 
that were gloriously done by him. 

Practice. 

This parable was a call to the Jews to do penance ; that they 
who, as St. Jerome says, had been warned three times — through 
the law of Moses, through the prophets, and finally through 
Christ himself — might not at last go to destruction. At the 
same time it was a threat of approaching judgment. Let us 
learn hence to make good use of the days of God's long-suf- 
fering mercy, that we may not, like the unfruitful tree, be cut 
down and cast into the fire. 

Prayer. 

O Almighty, eternal God, who by salutary abstinence doth 
heal both our bodies and souls, w^e humbly entreat thy majesty, 
that appeased by the pious prayers of those who fast, thou 
wouldst grant us present and future support. Through 
Christ. 



564 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



(Eijgljtceutl) Smtbaj) after JJeutecost. 

At the Introit of the Mass the Ch.urch prays for the peace 
which God has promised through his prophets. Give peace, 
Lord, to them that patiently wait for thee, that thy prophets 
may be found faithful ; hear the prayers of thy servants, and 
of thy people Israel (Ecclus. xxxvi. 18). I rejoiced at the 
things that were said to me / we shall go into the house of the 
Lord. Glory be to the Father 

Prayer. 

We beseech thee, O Lord, that the work of thy mercy may 
direct our hearts ; for without thy grace we cannot be pleasing 
to thee. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (1 Cor. i. 4-8.) 

Brethren : I give thanks to my God always for you, for the grace 
of God that is given you in Christ Jesus, that in all things you are 
made rich in him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge ; as the testi- 
mony of Christ was confirmed in you : so that nothing is wanting to 
you in any grace, waiting for the manifestation of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who also will confirm you unto the end without crime, in the 
day of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Brief Lessons. 

St. Paul shows in this epistle that he possesses the true love 
of his neighbor, by rejoicing and thanking God that he had 
bestowed on the Corinthians manifold gifts and graces, and 
thereby confirmed the testimony of Christ in them. 

Hence we learn, that in order to have true charity we 
should rejoice over the gifts and graces of our neighbors; 
should thank God for them, and pray him to fill all who are 
in the darkness of error with knowledge, and love, and all 
virtues. 

Gospel. (Matt. ix. 1-8.) 

At that time : Jesus entering into a boat, passed over the water and 
came into his own city. And behold they brought to him one sick 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 565 

of the palsy lying in a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the 
man sick of the palsy: Be of good heart, son, thy sins are forgiven 
thee. And behold some of the scribes said within themselves: He 
blasphemeth. And Jesus seeing their thoughts, said : Why do you 
think evil in your hearts? "Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins are for- 
given thee : or to say, Arise and walk? But that you may know that 
the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins (then saith he to 
the man sick of the palsy), Arise; take up thy bed and go into thy 
house. And he arose, and went into his house. And the multitude 
seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such power to men. 

Brief Lessons. 

I. They who brought the sick man to Christ, show us, by a 
praiseworthy example, how we ought to care for the sick, and 
procure assistance for them according to our ability. 

II. This charity, full of faith, was so pleasing to Christ, that 
out of regard for it, he forgave the palsied man his sins, and 
healed him. Hereby we learn how often we might help those 
who are sick in soul, if either by faithful prayer, by impressive 
addresses, or by good example, we would bring them to 
Christ. 

III. Christ did not heal the man sick with the palsy until 
he had forgiven him his sins. By this, he teaches us that it is 
chiefly sins which are the cause of the sicknesses and evils that 
pursue us; and that if we are sincerely repented of our sins, 
God would be likely to remove these evils from us. This is 
also intimated by the words of Jesus to him who had been 
sick eight-and-thirty years : JSin no more, lest some worse thing 
happen to thee (John v. 14). This should be kept in mind by 
those who so impetuously beseech God to free them from their 
afflictions, but who think not to free themselves from the sins 
which are the real cause of them, by a sincere repentance and 
by leading a Christian life. 

IV. lie blasphemeth. Thus, in their perverted minds, the 
Jews thought of Christ ; supposing that, by forgiving the sick 
man his sins, he had committed an encroachment on the pre- 
rogative of God, and thereby done him great wrong; for it is 
blasphemy against God to attempt to wrong him, or to think, 
speak, or do any thing insulting to him, or to his saints. These 



566 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

evil-doers did not consider that by this rash judgment they 
themselves had fallen into blasphemy, by blaspheming Christ; 
who, by his healing of the sick man, and by other works sur- 
passing all human power, had sufficiently declared his Godhead. 
But if he so strictly charged to the Jews, who did not ac- 
knowledge him to be God, a blasphemous thought against him, 
what will he do with those Christians, who, while claiming to 
be worshippers of God and Christians, still keep up the fright- 
ful habit of blaspheming, of cursing, of dishonoring the holy 
sacraments ? 

V. And Jesus seeing their thoughts said, Why do you think 
evil in your hearts f This is something to be considered by 
those who suppose their thoughts to he free from scrutiny, and 
to whom it does not even occur to make their evil thoughts 
matter of confession. God, the most holy and most just, will 
no more leave unpunished impure, proud, angry, revengeful, 
envious thoughts, than he will an idle word (Matt. xii. 36). 
Do not, therefore, give yourself up to evil thoughts; and in 
order to repel them, remember each time "that God sees and 
punishes them. Would you not drive them away if men saw 
them ? Why not, then, on account of God ? 

Aspiration. 

How great, O Jesus, are thy love and mercy towards poor 
sinners, when thou didst not only forgive the sins of the man 
sick with the palsy, but, calling him son, didst also console and 
heal him. Encouraged by this, thj' love, we pray thee give us 
grace to rise from the sick-bed of our sins by true repentance, 
and to amend our lives, that through the way of thy command- 
ments we may enter into eternal salvation, where thou livest 
and reignest, true God, w r orld without end. Amen. 

On Indulgences. 

" Be of good heart, son ; thy sins are forgiven thee." — Matt. ix. 2. 

What Christ here said to the man sick with the palsy, the 
priest also says at confession to every sinner, to whom, by vir- 
tue of the power given him from God, he thereby remits the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 567 

guilt and eternal punishment of bis sins, provided he has true 
contrition. But inasmuch as sins bring with them not only- 
guilt and eternal punishment, but also temporal consequences, 
of which some, like loss of health or of honor, are natural, and 
others again are appointed by God or by the Church, and as 
these cannot always be remitted through the sacrament of pen- 
ance, we must therefore use our diligence to deliver ourselves 
from them by gaining indulgences. 

What is an indulgence ? 

It is the remission granted by the Church, in the name of 
God, and on account of the merits of Jesus Christ and of all 
the saints, of the temporal punishment which men must suffer, 
either in this world or the world to come, for sins that have 
been already forgiven. 

Whence do we know that after sins are forgiven, there yet 
remains a temporal punishment ? 

1 . From Holy Scripture ; thus God imposed upon Adam 
and Eve great temporal punishments, although he forgave 
them their sin (Gen. iii.) In like manner, at the intercession 
of Moses, be remitted to the children of Israel, who bad mur- 
mured against him in the desert, the guilt, but not the tempo- 
ral punishment of their sin, for they were all shut out from the 
promised land (Numb, xiv.) Moses and Aaron suffered like 
punishment for a slight want of confidence in God (Numb. xx. 
24 ; Deut. xxxii. 59). David received from God, through the 
prophet Nathan, forgiveness for his adultery and murder, and 
yet was obliged to submit to great temporal punishments 
(2 Kings xii.) Finally, faith teaches us that after death we 
must suffer in purgatory till we have paid the last farthing 
(Matt. v. 26). 2. In like manner the Church, in the name of 
God, and by virtue of the authority derived from him, to bind 
and to loose, has always appointed certain temporal punish- 
ments for certain sins. Thus St. Paul imposed a severe pun- 
ishment upon a Corinthian for incest (1 Cor. v.), but afterwards 
released him therefrom upon his subsequent amendment. The 
Church has always observed the same course, only the kinds 
of punishment have been different at different times. In the 
first century she was, in this respect, very severe. Thus, for 



568 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

murder there must be twenty years, for adultery fifteen years, 
for perjury eleven years, for fornication seven years, which a 
man must spend in the strict practice of penance, and during 
all that time he was excluded from the mass, and from holy 
communion. These penances the Church sometimes remitted, 
either partly or entirely, on account of the extraordinary sorrow 
and sincere amendment of the penitents, or at the intercession 
of the holy martyrs ; or sometimes she commuted them for 
other good works, which was nothing else but an indulgence. 
Circumstances have forced the Church to relax from this se- 
verity ; but we must not, for that reason, suppose that she has 
less abhorrence now than formerly of those sins. She only 
adapts herself to our weakness, and assists us, by remitting to 
us those punishments, upon condition that we from the heart 
are sorry for, and renounce our sins, and perform some lighter 
penance. 

Why does God, and the Church also, impose upon the sinner 
particular temporal punishment, after the sins and their eternal 
punishment are remitted ? 

1. To inspire man with a just horror of sin before commit- 
ting it, and to preserve him from relapsing into it. 2. To re- 
pair scandal given, and to satisfy the divine justice. 3. The 
Church especially desires that the sinner should satisfy the di- 
vine justice here upon earth, that he may not have to suffer in 
purgatory. 

Can the Church remit all temporal punishments, even those 
imposed by God himself, and why ? 

Certainly, by virtue of the power to bind and to loose, which 
Christ has given her (Matt, xviii. 18). For if the Church has 
received from God the power to remit sins — which is the 
greater, — she certainly has authority to remit the punishment 
of them — which is the less. Moreover, it is by the bands of 
punishment that we are hindered from reaching the kingdom 
of God. But if the Church can loose all bands, why not this ? 
Finally, Jesus certainly had power to remit the temporal pun- 
ishment of sins, and the power which he himself had, he gave 
to his disciples. 

From what source are indulgences drawn? 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 569' 

From the treasury of the Church, which consists of the 
merits of Christ and of the saints ; that is, God remits to 
the sinner his temporal punishment, on account of the merits 
of Christ and of his saints, from which he supplies, as it were, 
what is lacking in the sinner's satisfaction. 

How many sorts of indulgences are there ? 

Two; plenary and partial. A plenary indulgence, rightly 
gained, remits all Church censures, and consequently all tem- 
poral punishments which might be removed by performance 
of the penance imposed by the Church. A partial indulgence, 
on the other hand, remits only so many days or years of tem- 
poral punishment, as, according to the discipline of the early 
Church, the penitent would have been obliged to spend in 
severe penance. 

What is required in order rightly to gain an indulgence? 

That one should be in the state of grace, and receive the 
holy sacraments of Penance and Eucharist. To gain an in- 
dulgence, therefore, we must lay aside all inclination to any 
sin whatever, and have a perfect horror of all sins, and of 
whatever leads to sin. We must also devoutly perform all the 
works prescribed by the Church, particularly by praying for 
the exaltation and propagation of the Catholic Church ; for 
peace and unity among Christian rulers; for the extirpation 
of heresies, &c. For which purpose, as Pope Gregory XIII. 
recommends, one should at least say seven times the Our 
Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father, and the Creed. 
If visits to a church are pi-escribed, it is all one in which 
church we receive holy communion, but the indulgenced 
prayers must be said in that church in which the indulgence is 
granted, and on the prescribed day. 

But do indulgences release us from all other penitential 
exercises ? 

By no means ; for, from what has been said, that we must 
be in a state of grace, which requires true sorrow and repent- 
ance, it evidently follows that it is not the intention of the 
Church, by imparting indulgences, to free the sinner from 
penance ; but that rather, through the satisfaction of Christ 
and the penances of the saints, which, by indulgences, are ap- 



570 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

plied to our benefit, she would assist our frailty, incite us to 
penance, and supply what our own penance lacks. If, how- 
ever, we are unwilling, in our own persons, to do penance for 
our own sins, an indulgence will give us no share in the pen- 
ances and merits of others. 

Do indulgences profit the souls departed also ? 

Yes, in the way of intercession ; since in fulfilling the pre- 
scribed conditions, we pray God for the merits of his Son, and 
of the saints, to release the souls in purgatory from punish- 
ment. This holds good, however, only when in the granting 
of the indulgence mention is made that it may be applied to 
the souls in purgatory. But it is most prudent not to depend 
upon the indulgences and good works which may perhaps be 
gained for us after our death, but at once to apply ourselves 
to securing our eternal happiness by gaining indulgences our- 
selves, and laying up good works of our own. 

What is a jubilee? 

It is a plenary indulgence granted by the Pope every twen- 
ty-five years, or oftener, at the discretion of the Sovereign 
Pontiff, to the Catholics of the whole world, whereby all the 
temporal punishments of sin, even in cases reserved to bishops, 
or to the Holy Father, are, in the name of God, remitted and 
forgiven to all who make sincere confession, devoutly receive 
holy communion, do true penance, and comply with the 
specified conditions. 

What follows from the doctrine of the Catholic Church in 
regard to indulgences? 

1. That an indulgence is no grant or license to commit any 
sin, as our adversaries falsely assert. 2. That an indulgence 
grants no forgiveness of past, and far less of future sin. 
3. That no Catholic Christian is allowed to believe that by 
gaining indulgences he can be released from the obligation of 
penance and good works; from the necessity of a renewal of 
his heart ; from the duty of combating his evil inclinations, 
passions, and habits; of restitution and reparation of scandal ; 
of making amends for good works neglected, and of glorifying 
God in his doings and his sufferings. 4. That indulgences 
grant nothing but either a plenary or partial remission of tem- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 571 

poral punishment. 5. That by comparison with the severe pen- 
ances of the early Christians, they put us in mind of our frailty 
and lukewarmness. 6. That they incite us according to our 
strength and means, to satisfy the justice of God. 7. That 
they call upon us to give continual thanks to God that he has 
given to our Holy Church, in the inexhaustible treasure of the 
merits of Christ and his saints, the means of aiding our weak- 
ness, and of supplying the defects of our penance. 

Prayer for gaining an Indulgence. 

We beseech thee, O Lord, graciously accept the petitions of 
thy Holy Church, that thou wouldst deliver her from all adver- 
sities, root out from her all heresies, unite all Christian rulers 
and princes, and exalt thy Holy Church on earth, that we may 
all serve thee in peace and quietness. Through Christ, our 
Lord. Amen. 



Nineteenth Stmbag after JJenterost. 

At the Introit of the Mass, God promises to hear the people 
who observe his law, and to help them in all their tribulation. 
J am the salvation of the people, saith the Lord ; in whatever 
tribulation they shall cry to me, I will hear them, and I will 
be their Lord forever (Ps. lxxvii.) Attend, O my people, to 
my law / incline your ears to the icords of my mouth. Glory 
be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O Almighty and merciful God, graciously defend us from 
all that is hurtful, that, free in mind and body, we may with 
ready mind perform all that belongs to thy service. Through 
Christ. 

Epistle. (Eph. iv. 23-28.) 

Brethren : Be renewed in the spirit of your mind : and put on the 
new man, who, according to God, is created in justice, and holiness 
of truth. Wherefore, putting away lying, speak ye the truth every 



572 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

man with his neighbor : for we are members one of another. Be 
angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your anger. Give 
not place to the devil. He that stole, let him now steal no more, but 
rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, 
that he may have something to give to him that suffereth need. 

What does it mean to be renewed in the spirit of your 
mind? 

It means to change our thoughts and lives by true penance, 
to put off the old man of sin, and to live justly as new men, 
according to the obligation which God laid upon the first man, 
whom he created in innocence and holiness. The epistle of 
to-day particularly concerns such as live in falsehood, hatred, 
anger, injustice, impurity, or other sins. Perhaps we have 
often renewed our spirit at a jubilee, or a mission, or a spirit- 
ual retreat ; we seemed then to be converted, and to have be- 
come new men, but how long did our spiritual renovation last ? 
Alas, how soon were we sinners again ! We thought that 
after making a general confession, every thing w r as done ; in- 
stead of zealously using all means to preserve ourselves in this 
happy state of spiritual renewal, we allowed ourselves once 
more to resort to bad company and dangerous occasions, and 
gave ourselves up, as before, to idleness and indulgence. When 
shall we be lastingly converted ? 

Why does the Apostle forbid lying ? 

Because God, as the God of truth, must hate it, and because 
w r e are bound to promote the welfare of others — an obligation 
which the liar does not fulfil. 

Why does he forbid stealing ? 

Because God commands us not to steal either little or much ; 
because it is contrary to charity for our neighbor ; because so- 
ciety could not exist unless stealing were prohibited. The 
Apostle says clearly that no robber, no thief, can enter the 
kingdom of God. Let us, therefore, avoid taking unjust and 
clandestine advantage of others, either by bad merchandise, by 
false measure or weight, or by work done badly, or not done 
in due time. Let us avoid injury to the goods of others — 
either their property or their good name — even in the least 
things. Let us be careful not to participate in theft by con- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 573 

cealing stolen goods, or by any other act. If! you have taken 
away any thing from your neighbor, your duty is to make res- 
titution. " The sin," says St. Augustine, " shall not pass away 
until the stolen goods are returned." " Pay what you owe" is 
meant for every thief, but how difficult is the discharge of this 
obligation ! 

Gospel. (Matt. xxii. 2-14.) 

At that time: Jesus spoke to the chief priests and Pharisees in 
parables, saying : The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king, who 
made a marriage for his son. And he sent his servants to call them 
that were invited to the marriage : and they would not come. Again 
he sent other servants, saying : Tell them that were invited : Behold, 
I have prepared my dinner ; my beeves and fatlings are killed, and all 
things are ready : come ye to the marriage. But they neglected, and 
went their ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise. 
And the rest laid hands on his servants, and, having treated them 
contumeliously, put them to death. But when the king had heard of 
it, he was angry, and, sending his armies, he destroyed those mur- 
derers, and burnt their city. Then he saith to his servants : The 
marriage indeed is ready : but they that were invited were not wor- 
thy. Go ye therefore into the highways ; and as many as you shall 
find, call to the marriage. And his servants going forth into the 
ways, gathered together all that they found, both bad and good : and 
the marriage was filled with guests. And the king went in to see the 
guests : and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment. 
And he saith to him : Friend, how earnest thou in hither not having 
a wedding garment ? But he was silent. Then the king said to the 
waiters : Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior 
darkness : there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many 
are called, but few are chosen. 

Remark. — This parable is, in many respects, one with that 
for the second Sunday after Pentecost, and has the same mean- 
ing. See, therefore, the explanation of that gospel, and also 
of that for St. Catharine's day ; in addition to which, consider 
also the following 

Explanation. 

1. In the present parable the king is our Heavenly Father, 
who has espoused his only-begotten Son to the Church. 2. The 
feast is made up of the doctrines of the Gospel, the holy sacra- 



574 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ments, with the other means of salvation, and of eternal joys. 
3. The servants sent to invite the guests, are the prophets, 
Apostles, and disciples of Christ. 4. Those invited are the 
Jews, who, despising the honor intended for them, put to death 
the prophets and Apostles. For this reason they were given 
over by him to a just punishment, and, together with their 
city of Jerusalem, were destroyed by the armies of their ene- 
mies. 5. In their place others, that is, the heathen, were called 
from all quarters of the earth, who, having been in the broad 
road to destruction, now occupy the place of the Jews in the 
marriage feast of the Church, and will one day occupy their 
place in heaven. 6. The wedding garment signifies charity, 
which shows itself by good works ; without this, faith avails 
nothing. 

We, too, have the happiness of being in the number of those 
invited. Let us accept the invitation, that we may not, like 
the Jews, be excluded from the feast, and others called in our 
room. But let us remember, also, that we cannot appear there 
without that wedding garment, woven from innocence, humil- 
ity, and charity, which adorns the soul as dress does the body, 
and renders us fit to appear before God ; for without that wed- 
ding garment we cannot be admitted to the feast, but must, 
with that unfortunate guest, be cast into the exterior dark- 
ness. 

That the man without a wedding garment was silent when 
questioned by the king shows us, that no one will be able to 
excuse himself before God for not having charity, since every 
one may have it if he only ask it from God, and be willing to 
practice it. " As to other good works," says St. Augustine, 
"there may sometimes be allowed the excuse of impossibility 
or of too great difficulty, but who shall excuse himself for 
wanting charity ? It is neither impossible to us, nor yet too 
difficult. We are not told, Go into far distant lands, sail over 
the ocean, in search of charity. Since what a man finds within 
himself, he need not seek from far. But charity is in our- 
selves; the heart is the place where charity works. Every 
one, therefore, who has a heart can practice it." 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 575 

Aspiration. 

I thank thee, O Jesus, that through thy incarnation, passion, 
and death, thou hast gained for me eternal happiness ; give 
me also the wedding garment of charity, that I may be ad- 
mitted to the heavenly marriage-feast, and not be cast into 
the exterior darkness. 

Lessons of Consolation from the Joys of Heaven. 

" The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king who made a marriage for his 
son." — Matt. xxii. 2. * 

Heaven is compared by Christ to a marriage-feast, because 
there we shall enjoy, through perfect union with God, greater 
joys than Ave can imagine. In what these joys consist, St. 
Paul himself, though more than once caught up to heaven and 
allowed to see and taste them, could not describe. He only 
says, That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it 
entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared 
for them that love him (1 Cor. ii. 9). The Holy Ghost, how- 
ever, gives us at times, in the Scripture, some little description 
of that happiness by comparing heaven, at one time, to a para- 
dise of delight; at another, to a marriage-feast, where all 
kinds of enjoyment abound ; again, to a costly pearl, or to a 
treasure which neither moth nor rust can destroy nor thieves 
steal ; at other times he represents heaven under the figure of 
a kingdom, of a throne, of a crown, by which we are exalted 
to the highest honors ; of a city built of gold, precious stones 
and pearls, lighted by the brightness of God, and filled with 
magnificence and royalty, where we may enjoy peace without 
molestation, and the greatest security. 

These, hoAvever, are only images taken from the most beau- 
tiful, precious, and delightful things of earth, to teach us how 
great that bliss of heaven must be, in which all beauties, all 
delights, all joys, are found in the highest and most perfect de- 
gree ; free from all evil, free from all anxiety and disgust, 
and free from all fear of ever losing them. In a word, in 
heaven man shall possess God himself, the source of all joy and 



576 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

happiness, and shall, with him, enjoy God's own happiness for 
all eternity. We shall be like him (1 John iii. 2). 

Is there need of any thing more to give us the highest con- 
ception of heaven ? 

Who, in contemplating this unending, incomprehensible, and 
indescribable happiness, would not readily despise the vain, 
contemptible, short, and imperfect pleasure of this world? 
Who would not willingly suffer with patience all the adversity 
and misery of this life, if he thought he might thereby make 
himself worthy of happiness so great, and that, too, the greater 
the more miserable he had been here? And what w^ould it 
profit us to have enjoyed all the pleasures of earth, if, on the 
other hand, we were to be eternally debarred from the joys of 
heaven ? How then can we cling to these transitory things 
which we must certainly one day leave, but by which we may 
lose the eternal forever ? Let us, therefore, strive incessantly 
to enter through the narrow gate into the eternal kingdom. 

Aspiration. 

How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts ! my soul 
longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord, my heart and 
my flesh have rejoiced in the living God (Ps. Ixxxiii.) " How 
weary of the world am I, when I contemplate heaven" (St. 
Ignatius) . 



ffttnentietl) Snnbnj) after Pentecost. 

The Introit of the Mass is a humble prayer, by which we 
confess that we are punished for our disobedience. All that 
thou hast done to us, Lord, thou hast done in true judg- 
ment, because we have sinned against thee, and we have not 
obeyed thy commandments ; but give glory to thy name, and 
deal with us according to the multitude of thy mercy (Dan. 
iii.) Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the 
law of the Lord. Glory be to the Father. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 577 

Prayer. 

Be appeased, O Lord, we beseech thee, and grant to thy 
faithful pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all 
their offences, and serve thee with secure mind. Through 
Christ. 

Epistle. (Eph. v. 15-21.) 

See, brethren, how you walk circumspectly : not as unwise, but as 
wise: redeeming the time, because the days are evil. "Wherefore be- 
come not unwise, but understanding what is the will of God. And 
be not drunk with wine, wherein is luxury, but be ye tilled with the 
Holy Spirit. Speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and 
spiritual canticles, singing and making melody in your hearts to the 
Lord: giving thanks always for all things, in the name of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, to God and the Father: being subject one to another iu 
the fear of Christ. 

Practice. 

Of the admonitions which St. Paul here gives, the two fol- 
lowing particularly deserve our attention : 

1. To make a faithful use of time; that is, of every occa- 
sion of doing good, and of gaining merits. This is the more 
necessary, as the days are evil; that is, full of dangers to tl > 
salvation of souls; and yet God demands a strict account. 
We ought therefore to repent for the time hitherto misspent ; 
for how many graces and opportunities of doing good have we 
allowed to pass by unimproved ; with how many sins have we 
rilled up the moments so precious for our salvation ! But we 
must not only repent, but also redeem the time. Let us there- 
fore endeavor, for the residue of our life, to serve God more 
faithfully than we have in time past served the world. Let us 
take advantage of every minute ; minutes make hours, and 
hours make days, weeks, months, and years. How zealously 
do we not employ every moment for our temporal profit, and 
how sorely we grieve over every loss! Does not our eternal 
salvation merit as much zeal? Shall we not on our death-beds 
lament bitterly every lost moment ? 

2. To avoid drunkenness; for it brings with it all kinds of 

25 



578 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

excesses, inasmuch as it produces a sinful excitement, a sensual 
jovialty, and a haughty presumption, by which the door is 
opened to all sins of the flesh. 

Remark. — See an Instruction on Drunkenness on the Third 
Sunday after Pentecost. Here we will speak only of the sin 
of those who help to produce the intoxication of others. 

The Persian King Assuerus, at a great feast, expressly for- 
bade that any one should be obliged to drink (Esther i. 8). 
Thus this heathen, enlightened only by reason, held it to be a 
wrong to force any one to drink to excess: shall not the 
Christian, therefore, who has been taught by the clearness of 
divine revelation, count it a still greater wrong ? Will not 
this heathen justly rise up in judgment against those Christians 
who, although illumined by faith, yet will neither acknowledge 
nor avoid this sin ? Does not the language of the Prophet ap- 
ply to them ? Woe to you that are mighty to drink wine, and 
understand to make others drunk (Isaias v. 22). Hence St. 
Augustine warns us not to regard as our friends those who, 
by their fellowship in drinking, would make us enemies of 
God. 

On the Duties of those who keep Public Houses. 

If the above admonitions apply to all, they are especially 
suited to the persons just named. As a class, they are neces- 
sary in human society; but for this very reason it is within 
their power to do a great good or a great evil. They can ac- 
complish great good, and prevent great evil, by keeping their 
houses out of Christian motives; by being just to all; by re- 
fusing to tolerate irreligious, defamatory, and impure dis- 
course ; by not permitting dangerous dances, plays, and as- 
semblages, particularly of young people of both sexes ; by 
being watchful, observing the laws; by refusing drink to 
drunkards generally, and particularly to such as have already 
had enough, or who, by drinking up their wages, would leave 
their families in need. In many respects the keepers of public 
houses can prevent more evil than the most zealous pastor. 
But in like manner, on the other hand, the keeper of a public 
house who regards only gain, can accomplish an endless amount 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 579 

of evil, by permitting or favoring sin and vice ; by putting per- 
sons of both sexes to sleep in the same room ; by promoting 
loose dances, and by giving drunkards whatever they want to 
drink. 

As it thus lies in their power to promote good or evil, they 
are bound to further what is good, to prevent what is evil. It 
is for this that God has given them the opportunity. Christi- 
anity requires it of them ; and of this they must one day render 
a strict account to God. For, as the good which they have 
aided in accomplishing will avail towards their salvation, so 
will the evil which they might have prevented, but did not, 
tend to their damnation, inasmuch as by their neglect they en- 
couraged evils and gave occasion for sin ; for the evil is done 
when they do not fulfil their obligations. Let no one excuse him- 
self by saying, that he could not thus prevent evil, because by 
too great strictness his guests would have been frightened away. 
The watchful host, though he see not every thing, will yet see 
much, and the fear of being observed by him, will prevent 
many an evil. For the rest, he can only be answerable for 
what he could have hindered. Good, honest guests will not 
be frightened away. On the contrary, they will be attracted ; 
the house will gain a good name ; the absence of bad and dis- 
solute guests is no loss, since it is by them that the curse of 
God is brought upon a house. Is not this the explanation why 
so often persons in good circumstances, are temporarily ruined 
by the business of keeping public houses? 

Every landlord, therefore, should devote his attention to 
discharging the duties of his place ; to furnish good articles ; 
not to adulterate his wines and liquors; not to charge exorbi- 
tantly ; not to allow what is sinful ; to behave like a Christian ; 
to be watchful and just; and instead of looking to men and 
their words, to look up to God, who will be the rewarder of 
men for time and for eternity. 

Gospel. (John iv. 46-53.) 

At that time: There was a certain ruler whose son was sick at 
Capharnaum. He having heard that Jesus was come from Judea 
into Galilee, went to him, and prayed him to come down and heal his 



580 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said to him : 
Unless you see signs and wonders, you believe not. The ruler saith 
to him : Lord, come down before that my son die. Jesus saith to him : 
Go thy way, thy son liveth. The man believed the word which Jesus 
said to him, and went his way. And as he was going down, his ser- 
vants met him : and they brought word, saying that his son lived. 
He asked therefore of them the hour wherein he grew better. And 
they said to him: Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 
The father therefore knew that it was at the same hour that Jesus 
said to him, Thy son liveth ; and himself believed, and his whole 
house. 

JBrief Lessons. 

I. God permitted the son of the ruler to fall sick, that he 
being thereby led to seek assistance from Christ, might ob- 
tain faith and salvation. In like manner, in order to convert 
sinners, he often permits manifold evils and misfortunes to 
come upon them, either in their own persons, or in their 
children, their herds, their goods. Hence David says, It is 
good for me that thou hast humbled me, that I may learn thy 
justifications. And accordingly he prayed to God to fill the 
faces of sinners with shame that they might seek the name of 
the Lord (Ps. lxxxii. \1). The like happened to those of 
whom David said, Their infirmities were midtiplied, and after- 
wards they made haste, in returning to God. Would that we 
might do the same ! for if God sends upon us failure of crops, 
inundation, hail, famine, war, sickness, death of those we love, 
he thereby designs nothing else than to move us at least to 
abandon sin and to turn to him. But what do we? Instead 
of hastening to God we resort to superstition, and take refuge 
with the devil ; instead of doing away our sins by a true re- 
pentance, we continually commit new ones by our impatience 
and murmuring ; by our rash judgment, as if the injustice and 
malice of certain persons were the cause of our misfortunes; 
by our hatred and enmity. What will become of us if neither 
the benefits nor the punishments of God better us? God, 
indeed, sometimes sends afflictions upon the pious and innocent, 
or allows them to be vexed and tormented by wicked men ; 
but he does this only to try their patience and love towards 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 5 SI 

him ; to detach them from the world ; to set them on their 
guard against sin ; and to give them opportunity for gaining 
the greatest merits ; for to them that love God, all things icork 
together unto good (Rom. viii. 28). Such were the designs of 
God in regard to Job, Tobias, and others ; and how profitable 
to them were these trials from God. But can we compare 
ourselves with these pious men, when instead of turning our 
trials to advantage by patience, we rather consider those our 
enemies whom God makes use of to sanctify us. 

II. Christ says to the ruler, Unless you see signs and won- 
ders you believe not. This was a reproof for his imperfect 
belief; for if he had really believed Christ to be the Son of 
God, and consequently almighty, he would not have prayed 
him to come down to his house ; but rather like the centurion, 
would have believed that he was able, even while at a distance, 
to heal his sick son with a word. 

Do not many Christians deserve the same reproof, who 
nearly lose all faith and confidence in God, if he does not by 
an instantaneous miracle help them in their need according to 
their wish ? How such unbelief and distrust displeases God, 
he shows by withdrawing his shelter and protection from 
those who are thus fickle and distrustful (Ecclus. ii. 15). 

III. How much good may not the example of a father of a 
family accomplish! Hardly had this ruler received the faith 
when his whole household was converted and believed in 
Jesus Christ. Thus fathers and mothers of families, by their 
good example, their piety, their zeal in prayer, their frequent 
receiving of the holy sacraments, by their meekness, their 
moderation, their modesty, may do incalculable good to their 
dependents and the inmates of their houses. Would that they 
might reflect on this ! For if they have no care for their oicn, 
a h<7 especially those of their own house, they have denied the 
faith and are ivorse than the infidel (1 Tim. v. 8). 

Consolation in Sickness. 

"There was a certain ruler, whose son was sick."— John iv. 40. 

To console ourselves in sickness, let us bethink ourselves 
that God has sent us sickness for the good of our souls ; that 



582 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

we may thereby attain a knowledge of our sins, and make satis- 
faction for them ; or, if we suffer innocently, we may exercise 
ourselves in patience, charity, humility, and such like virtues, 
and so increase our merits. Therefore, it was that one of the old 
fathers said to his companion who complained that he was so 
often sick, my son, if you are good gold, you will be thereby 
kept pure ; if you are mixed with dross, you will be purified 
from it. " Many," says St. Augustine, " are wicked in health 
who would be virtuous in sickness." And St. Bernard says, 
" It is better to gain heaven through sickness, than to have 
health and be eternally damned." 

To preserve patience in sickness, let us place before our eyes 
the suffering Saviour, who, from the crown of his head to the 
sole of his foot, had no spot that had been free from wounds 
and blows ; in meditating on which, St. Bonaventure exclaimed, 
" O God, I desire not to live without sickness, when I behold 
thee thus wounded." 

When sickness befalls us we must examine ourselves: 1. 
Whether we possess unjustly gotten goods, or harbor any 
other secret sins ; and if we detect any thing of that sort, we 
must hasten to free ourselves from such sin by sincere confes- 
sion and restitution, for God will not bless the medicines until 
the sickness has effected its purpose ; that is, the amendment 
of the sinner. 

2. Let a man employ a skilful physician, use carefully the 
prescribed means, and not permit himself to have recourse to 
such as use quackery and superstitious practices. To make 
use of the skill of the physician is the will of God, but to resort 
to superstition is to run the risk of both temporal and spiritual 
suffering, as was experienced by king Ochozias, who was pun- 
ished with death because in his sickness he consulted the idol 
Beelzebub (4 Kings i.) 

3. But before all else, let one betake himself to God, give 
himself up unreservedly to his will, pray him to enlighten the 
physician, and bless the means employed for his recovery, and 
subdue his inclinations if the prescription of the physician does 
violence to his former habits. For how otherwise should medi- 
cines have their proper effect? 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 583 

Ejaculation of St. Augustine. — O Lord, here burn, here 
wound, only spare me in eternity. 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, thou true physician of souls, who dost wound that 
thou raayest heal, and visitest men with temporal sorrows and 
adversities, that they may have health of soul, grant us grace 
to use every bodily pain, according to thy merciful providence, 
for the promotion of our salvation. Amen. 

On the Care of the /Sick. 

" Come down before my sou die." — John, iv. 43. 

All who have the care of the sick should imitate the thought- 
fulness of this father ; that is, they should before all take care 
of the soul, and to that end call upon Jesus to come in the 
holy sacrament, before the sick person is past the point of re- 
ceiving him with devotion. Parents, therefore, children, rela- 
tives, and friends, if they truly love the sick, should seek to 
induce him to receive the holy sacrament betimes. They 
should represent to him that he will not on that account die 
the sooner, but rather, after being cleansed from his sins and 
strengthened with grace, will either the sooner regain his 
health, or at least will be able to bear the pains of his sickness 
with the greater patience and merit ; that to delay is a temp- 
tation of the enemy ; that temporal affairs might then be the 
better attended to ; that the temptations of the last moments 
are the strongest, and the danger of ruin is consequently then 
the greatest. They should say, generally, what agrees with 
prudence and regard for circumstances, and what Christian 
charity suggests for the salvation of the soul. Whoever neg- 
lects to advise the sick, must remember that he will have it 
to answer for, if the sick thereby should suffer, or perhaps be 
lost. At the beginning, and during the progress of the sick- 
ness, one should endeavor to encourage the patient to resigna- 
tion and child-like confidence in God ; should place before him 
the Saviour, suffering and glorified, as a pattern and consola- 



584: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

tion ; should pray with him, to strengthen him against despond- 
ing thoughts and the temptations of the devil ; should fre- 
quently give him the crucifix to kiss ; should repeat to him the 
holy names, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and other consolatory ejacu- 
tions, such as are to be found in prayer-books ; should sign 
him with the sign of the cross, sprinkle him with holy water, 
and, before all, pray for a happy death : such is Christian-like 
care of the sick. One ought not, therefore, to lament and cry, 
by which the patient's dying is made the harder ; nor ought 
one to hold with him unprofitable worldly conversation, which 
will hinder him from thinking earnestly on God and his soul's' 
salvation, and for making ready for his last and most perilous 
combat. 

Finally, there should not be allowed about the sick any per- 
sons who had formerly caused him to sin, or who might even 
yet do so, nor any who would distract and disturb him. 

But in caring for the soul, the body is not to be neglected. 
We must call in time a skilful physician, give the sick person 
his medicines at the appointed times, keep every thing clean, 
observe particularly the prescribed limit as to eating and drink- 
ing, and not permit the patient to have his own will, for he 
will often desire what would be hurtful to him. In general, 
we should do what, in like case, one would wish to have done 
for himself, for there is no greater work of charity than to at- 
tend a sick person, and particularly to assist him to a happy 
death. 



toentj] -first S unban after JJentecost. 

At the Introit of the Mass is said the prayer of Mardochai, 
which may be used in all necessities and adversities. All 
things are in thy will, Lord, and none can resist thy will; 
for thou hast made all things, heaven and earth, and all 
things that are under the cope of heaven • thou art Lord of 
all (Esther xiii. 9). Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who 
walk in the law of the Lord. Glory be to the Father. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 5S5 

Prayer. 

Preserve, we beseech thee, Lord, thy family by continued 
mercy, that by thy protection they may be free from all ad- 
versity, and in good works devoted to thy name. Through 
Christ. 

Epistle. (Ephesians vi. 10-17.) 

Brethren: be strengthened in the Lord, and in the might of his 
power. Put you on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand 
against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not against 
flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the 
rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness 
in the high places. Therefore take unto you the armor of God, that 
you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things per- 
fect. Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and hav- 
ing on the breast-plate of justice, and your feet shod with the prepa- 
ration of the gospel of peace: in all things taking the shield of faith, 
wherewith you may be able to extinguish. all the fiery darts of the 
most wicked one. And take unto you the helmet of salvation; and 
the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). 

Explanation. 

In this epistle the holy Apostle encourages us to the com- 
bat against evil, and points out both our enemy and the 
weapons we are to use. The enemy is not merely our own 
concupiscence and our fellow-men, but the powers of hell, 
which rule the world, lying in the darkness of error and sin, 
so far as God permits them. The weapons are introduced un- 
der the likeness of a Roman soldier's equipment. They are, 
1. The girdle; that is, truth, by virtue of which we despise 
the goods of earth, and strive only for those that are true and 
imperishable. 2. The breast-plate; that is, justice, which ren- 
ders to God, our neighbor, and ourselves, what is, by the law 
of God, due to each, and allows nothing to prevent it from the 
faithful discharge of duty. 3. The shoes ; that is, readiness in 
regulating our lives by the Gospel. 4. The shield ; thai is, the 
faith, by the doctrines and promises of which we render harm- 
less the fiery darts of the devil, and are taught how to repel 
the attacks of the enemy, opposing, for instance, to lust, the 



586 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

pains of hell, which await the impure. 5. The helmet; that 
is, the hope of eternal salvation, which enables us to endure all 
temporal misfortune. 6. The sword ; that is, the word of God, 
which, when we use it after the example of Jesus, the most 
powerful enemy cannot resist (Matt, iv.) Armed with these 
weapons, we shall be conquerors in the combat with Satan, 
and gain the crown of victory. 

Gospel. (Matt, xviii. 23-35.) 

At that time: Jesus spoke to his disciples this parable: The king- 
dom of heaven is likened to a king who would take an account of 
his servants. And when he had begun to take the account, one was 
brought to him that owed him ten thousand talents. And as he had 
not wherewith to pay it, his lord commanded that he should be sold, 
and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be 
made. But that servant, falling' down, besought him, saying: Have 
patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And the lord of that ser- 
vant, being moved with pity, let him go, and forgave him the debt. 
But when that servant was gone out, he found one of his fellow- 
servants that owed him a hundred pence; and laying hold of him, he 
throttled him, saying: Pay what thou owest. And his fellow-ser- 
vant, falling down, besought him, saying: Have patience with me, 
and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him 
into prison, till he should pay the debt. Now his fellow-servants, 
seeing what was done, were very much grieved, and they came and 
told their lord all that was done. Then his lord called him, and said 
to him: Thou wicked servant! I forgave thee all the debt, because 
thou besonghtest me: shouldst not thou then have had compassion 
also on thy fellow-servant, even as I had compassion on thee? And 
his lord being angry, delivered him to the torturers until he should 
pay all the debt. So also shall my heavenly Father do to you, if you 
forgive not every one his brother, from your hearts. 

What would Jesus teach by this parable ? 

The king is God ; the servant, every man ; the ten thousand 
talents signify the enormous and excessive debts which men 
contract by their sins against God. Ten thousand talents are 
equal to ten millions of dollars; a sum so exceedingly great 
as to show clearly that the debt of every man to God is 
without limit, and for men truly overwhelming ; perhaps, more- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 587 

over, thereby is to be understood every mortal sin, inasmuch 
as by himself man is incapable of making satisfaction for such 
sin : the hundred pence, a small sum, equal to perhaps six 
or seven dollars, denotes the offences which others have given 
us, and which, in comparison with our offences against God, 
are insignificant. By this parable, therefore, Jesus intended 
to say : As God forgives your immense debts, if you sorrow- 
fully pray for forgiveness, so ought you to forgive your fellow- 
men their comparatively light debts, when they ask forgive- 
ness of you. Unless you grant it, you shall receive no pardon 
from my Father. 

Why did the king command that, besides the debtor, his 
wife and children should be sold ? 

Partly to point out thereby the greatness of the debt ; partly 
because they had induced him to contract it, and had thereby 
become participators in it. In like manner, all those who par- 
ticipate in the sins of others, by assisting, counselling, com- 
manding, inciting, consenting, keeping silence, overseeing, and 
defending, will also participate with them in punishment. 

Who are like that unmerciful servant ? 

All unmerciful and hard-hearted persons; particularly, 

1. Rulers who oppress their subjects by excessive taxes. 

2. Those who oppress widows and orphans, and keep back 
from servants the wages due them. 3. Those who have no 
patience with their debtors when unable to pay at once, but 
would rather deprive them of house and goods than be in- 
dulgent to them. Such men will be accused before God by 
their own acts, which cry to heaven ; by the holy angels, and 
by their own consciences ; and God will deal with them in the 
other world as they have dealt with their neighbors in this. 
4. Finally, all implacable persons, who will not forgive injuries 
done them, but preserve hatred in their hearts ; who bring 
such as have injured them before the courts, and even seek to 
injure them out of revenge. How can they hope to obtain 
mercy ? 

Why was the servant given over to the torturers after the 
debt was cancelled ? 

Not on account of the debt itself, for God repents not of his 






588 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

mercies, and what is forgiven remains forgiven ; but on account 
of his cruelty towards his fellow-servant, which was the greater 
sin, inasmuch as, out of gratitude to his master, he ought to 
have been merciful. The expression, " he delivered them to 
the torturers until he paid all the debt," denotes the eter- 
nity of punishment for the unforgiving and uncharitable. For 
how should man ever be able to pay the debt of his sins ? O 
man, think of this in time, and forgive at once, and from the 
heart, thy fellow-men ! 

What is meant by forgiving from the heart ? 

It is to banish from the heart all hatred and desire of re- 
venge ; to bear in our hearts a sincere love towards our ene- 
my, and to manifest it by works of charity. For it could not 
be called forgiveness, if we should exclude him who had 
wronged us from the benefit of our prayers and alms, if we 
should avoid him, refuse to speak to him, to salute him, to 
look at him, or to assist him in need when we might. Let no 
one say that his offence was too grievous. Does God com- 
mand what is impossible ? Have not Christ and the saints 
done this, and even more ? For us, who were his enemies, 
Christ has given his life, and shall we think it hard to give 
even a good word to those redeemed with us ? If we think 
of the multitude of sins which God has forgiven us, how can 
we refuse to forgive such trifling wrongs against ourselves? 
At any rate, let us not forget that God forgives us only when 
we also forgive from the heart. 

Ejaculation. — Merciful God, grant me grace to be truly 
merciful towards my fellow-men, as thou art towards me. 

Practical Lessons on Patience. 

" Have patience with me." — Matt, xviii. 26. 

That God has so great patience with us, ought to be more 
than sufficient to prevail upon us to have patience with our 
fellow-men, and to bear patiently the sorrows that are sent us 
from God. For ought we not to be like God ? Besides, what 
good comes of impatience ? Does it lighten, or change our 
trials ? or does it better our neighbor ? No ; it makes afflio 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 589 

tions more oppressive, while as for our neighbor, he will receive 
unwillingly admonitions given with impatience, and finally will 
pay no attention to them. And to how many sins does not 
impatience lead ! The impatient poor man begins to steal ; 
the hot-headed, who can bear nothing, curses, murmurs against 
God, irritates others. Woe to those who lose patience (Ecclus. 
ii. 16). But blessed are those who are patient, for they shall 
possess their souls (Luke xxi. 19) ; for patience is the keeper 
of all virtue, making man perfect and worthy of the heavenly 
crown (James i. 4). It is indeed difficult for our corrupt na- 
ture at all times to have patience, but with God's help it is 
possible. Did the saints have a different nature from ours? 
and what they could do, with God's grace, why cannot we ? 
To obtain patience, let us often say the following 

Prayer. 

O God, who, through the patience of thine only-begotten 
Son, hast humbled the pride of our old enemy, mercifully grant 
that, by considering what he has suffered for us, we may cheer- 
fully and patiently bear our adversities, through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord. Amen. 



&tDentt5-seconb Stmban after JJentccost. 

At the Introit of the Mass, pray with the priest for the for- 
giveness of your sins. If thou shall observe iniquities, Lord, 
Lord, who shall endure it f for with thee is propitiation, 
God of Israel. From the depths I have cried to thee, Lord, 
Lord, hear my voice (Ps. cxxix.) Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, our refuge and strength, who art the author of 
mercy, attend to the pious prayers of thy Church, and grant 
that what we ask in faith, we may effectually obtain. Through 
our Lord. 



590 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Epistle. (Phil. i. 6-11.) 

Brethren : We are confident in the Lord Jesus, that he, who hath 
begun a good work in you, will perfect it unto the day of Christ 
Jesus. As it is meet for me to think this for you all : for that I have 
you in my heart ; and that in my bonds, and in the defence, and con- 
firmation of the Gospel, you are all partakers of my joy. For God is 
my witness, how I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. 
And this I pray, that your charity may more and more abound in 
knowledge, and in all understanding: that you may approve the bet- 
ter things, that you may be sincere and without offence unto the day 
of Christ, filled with the fruit of justice through Jesus Christ, unto 
the glory and praise of God. 

The epistle from which this extract is taken was written by 
St. Paul from Rome, where he was in prison on account of the 
faith, to the converts whom he had made in the city of Philippi, 
Macedonia. They had not only received the Gospel, but had 
also, for the sake of it, suffered many trials ; besides, they had 
assisted the Apostles with pious gifts. St. Paul, therefore, re- 
joiced, and thanked the Lord. Whoever applies himself to 
the care of Christ's disciples, will participate in their merits. 
For this reason, the Apostle says he has the Philippians in his 
heart. How blessed must these good people have been, that 
an Apostle, like St. Paul, remembered them thankfully in his 
prayers to God ! We may receive the same blessing by join- 
ing the Association for the Propagation of the Faith. The day 
of Christ, spoken of by the Apostle, is the day of judgment, 
which comes to every man at the very hour of his death. 

Gospel. (Matt. xxii. 15-21.) 

At that time: The Pharisees going, consulted among themselves 
how to ensnare Jesus in his speech. And they sent to him their dis- 
ciples with the Herodians, saying: Master, we know that thou art a 
true speaker, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest 
thou for any man : for thou dost not regard the person of men. Tell 
us therefore, what dost thou think, is it lawful to give tribute to 
Caesar, or not? But Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said: Why do 
you tempt me, ye hypocrites? Show me the coin of the tribute. 
And they offered him a penny. And Jesus saith to them: Whose 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 591 

image and inscription is this? They say to him: Caesar's. Then he 
saith to them : Bender therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, 
and to God, the things that are God's. 

Why did the Pharisees try to ensnare Jesus in his dis- 
course ? 

That they might have cause either to accuse him before 
Caesar, or to make him hated by the people : for if he had 
pronounced the tribute to Caesar unlawful, they would have 
accused him of high treason ; but if he had declared it obliga- 
tory, they would have denounced him to the Jews as a de- 
stroyer of their liberty. Like these Pharisees are those 
persons who, under pretext of friendship, prepare trouble for 
their neighbors, and seek to bring them into misfortune. But 
should they not dread that woe which Christ so often threat- 
ened to the hypocritical Pharisees ? 

Who are properly hypocrites ? 

They who, in order to deceive their neighbors, show them- 
selves outwardly pious, while within they are full of evil dis- 
positions and malice ; who have honey on the tongue, but 
gall in the heart; who, like scorpions, sting when one least 
expects it. Such hypocrites are brethren of Cain, Joab, and 
Judas ; of whom the first murdered his brother ; the second 
craftily deceived and put to death his cousin Amasa ; and the 
third sold his divine Master, betraying him with a kiss. But 
such men are cursed by God (Mai. i. 14). The Lord hateth a 
mouth with a double tongue (Pro v. viii. .13). "Assumed 
sanctity," says St. Jerome, "is a double maliciousness." 

What particular lessons does this gospel furnish ? 

That we should be just and pay to every one his due: 1. 
To the temporal authorities, taxes, duties, etc. ; and, 2. To the 
spiritual authorities, the revenue and contributions due to 
them, for this is commanded by God (Luke x. 1 ; Rom. xv. 1 ; 
1 Cor. ix. 14). These we should pay conscientiously, taking 
heed lest in any unjust manner we deprive the Church of her 
goods ; for God has often punished horribly such as do so ; and 
experience teaches us that such goods unlawfully gained bring 
no prosperity to their possessors. 3. We must pay to God 



502 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

what is due to him — faith, hope, love, fidelity, and obedience, 
and that till death ! 

Aspiration. 

Save me, O Lord, for there is now no saint ; truths are de- 
cayed from among the children of men : they have spoken 
vain things every one with his neighbors ; with deceitful lips 
and double heart have they spoken. O Lord, deliver my soul 
from wicked lips and deceitful tongue. Grant me grace by 
piety and virtue to preserve thy image in me. Direct my 
heart to justice, and keep it from avarice, that I may render 
to every one his own. 

Practical Lessons against human Respect, or the vain Fear 

of Men. 

" Thou art a true speaker and teach est the way of G-od in truth, neither carest 
thou for any man, for thou dost not regard the person of men." — Matt. 
xxii. 10. 

Christ spoke and acted without fear of men. Christians, 
disciples of Jesus, should act in like manner, and not be de- 
terred from the practice of piety and virtue by human respect, 
or consideration of " What will people say ?" How much 
really depends upon what men think and speak of us ? Is it 
not enough if we can please God ? He alone can truly help 
or harm us ; and he alone, therefore, is to be feared ; as Christ 
says, And fear ye not them that hill the body and are not 
able to kill the soul ; but rather fear him that can destroy both 
soul and body in hell (Matt. x. 28). Besides, has not Christ 
expressly said that he will deny before his Father those who 
deny him before men ? Finally, how many sins proceed from 
this fear of men — sins, too, which might be so easily avoided, 
if we only feared God and his judgment more than men ! 

How foolish is the conduct of those who, to escape offending 
certain men, hesitate not to offend God ; who, to gain favor, 
assist others in oppressing innocent, poor, and forlorn persons, 
and in depriving them of their own ; who comply with all 
new fashions and scandalous customs; who shun the divine 
services on Sundays and holy-days; who eat flesh themselves 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 593 

and give it to others on prohibited days; who sing indecent 
songs, and, what is still more scandalous, turn holy tilings into 
ridicule to make others laugh ! Still more foolish is it at con- 
fession, for fear of severe discipline, or of the bad opinion of 
the confessor, to conceal those sins which yet will one day be 
made manifest. In truth, what the devil could not do by him- 
self he does through this fear of men, wdrich is a rope in his 
hand to hold the soul in his power, and drag it down to hell. 
It is not before the bar of men, but before the judgment-seat 
of God that we must one day stand; and he will judge us, not 
according to that common saying, " Others do it," but accord- 
ing to that teaching of the gospel, " Render to God the things 
that are God's." 

On the Worth of our Souls. 

" Whose image is this?" — Matt. xxii. 20. 

This question we should often put to ourselves in regard to 
our souls, and particularly at the close of every day, " What 
have I made of my soul to-day? whose image does it bear? 
God's or the devil's ? that of virtue, or of sin ?" We should 
ask this question, too, when we are tempted to stain the soul 
with sin: "Whose image is this?" We should say, Is it not 
the likeness of the Triune God — a likeness painted, as it were, 
with the blood of Christ ? Shall I defile this likeness with sin 
and lust ? Far from me be such an act ! For what in truth 
is there on earth more precious than the soul of a man in the 
state of grace, for which Christ has given his life — given it, not 
for all the goods and treasures of the world, but for the human 
soul? And is not the soul of man the temple of the Holy 
Ghost, the dwelling of the thrice holy God ? Does not Christ 
truly and substantially enter into it to become one with it ? 
And herein has not God done more for the souls of men than 
he has done for angels? So great is the dignity of man's soul. 
Originally the image of God, but defiled by sin, it was cleansed 
by the blood of the Lamb of God, that it might become par- 
taker of the divine nature. Who can comprehend such ex- 
altation? And yet there are many who value their souls so 



594 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

lightly, that they barter them away for the pleasure of the mo- 
ment — for the very smallest gains. How perverse ! The body, 
man esteems so highly that he spares no pains to adorn it and 
keep it in life ; but he will not care to preserve in the state of 
grace, or to adorn with virtues, the soul, the image of God ! 
Oh, folly! Oh, shame! 

Take care then of that which is most valuable within thee, 
Df that which alone is precious, alone everlasting, the loss of 
which nothing can make good. Let your care for your soul 
be the greatest, the truest, the most enduring, till it shall be 
found worthy to be forever united with its Creator, Redeemer, 
and Sanctifier. 



ffttoenttHljivb Simbat} after J)entecost. 

The Introit of the Mass consoles us, and encourages us to 
confidence in God, who is so kind to us, and will not suffer us 
to be always in tribulation. The Lord saith, I think thoughts 
of peace, and not of affliction. You shall call upon me, and I 
will hear you, and J will bring back your captivity from all 
places. Lord, thou hast blessed thy land, thou hast turned 
aivay the captivity of Jacob (Jerem. xxix.) Glory be to the 
Father. 

Prayer. 

Absolve, we beseech thee, O Lord, the sins of thy people, 
that we may be delivered by thy goodness from the bonds of 
sin which, by our frailty, we have committed. Through 
Christ, our Lord. 

Epigtle. (Phil. iii. 17-21 ; iv. 1-3.) 

Bo followers of me, brethren, and observe them who walk so as you 
have our model. For many walk, of whom I have told you often 
(and now tell you weeping) that they are enemies of the cross of 
Christ; whose end is destruction: whose God is their belly: and 
whose sl <)] T is their shame: who mind earthly things. But our con- 
versation is in heaven: from whence also we look for the Saviour, our 
Lord Jesus Christ, who will reform the body of our lowness, made 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 505 

like to the body of his glory, according to the operation whereby also 
he is able to subdue all things unto himself. Therefore, my dearly be- 
loved brethren, and most desired, my joy and my crown: so stand 
fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. I beg of Evodia, and I beseech 
Syntyche to be of one mind in the Lord. And I entreat thee also, 
my sincere companion, help those women that have labored with me 
in the gospel with Clement and the rest of my fellow-laborers, whose 
names are in the book of life. 

Explanatioji. 

In these words the Apostle gives warning against the false 
teachers of his day, who, although outwardly receiving and 
preaching Christianity, in heart hated the strict requirements 
of Christian morals, and lived according to their sensual lusts. 
He therefore cautions the faithful not to take them for patterns, 
for they are only hastening to eternal perdition, but rather to 
be followers of him, and of those who imitate his life. 

These warnings and admonitions apply also to us. For are 
there not among us enemies of the cross of Christ, who are 
called Christians, but who will have nothing to do with self- 
denial, mortification, chastity, and such like virtues ? who in- 
deed despise them, and count those who practice them fools ? 
Let us not be led astray by them. For what will be the end 
of them? Everlasting destruction. For he who does not 
crucify his flesh does not belong to Christ (Gal. iii. 24) ; who- 
ever does not bear about his body the dying of Christ, in his 
body the life of Christ will never be made manifest (2 Cor. iv. 
10). Whoever does not already w T alk in heaven, that is, direct 
his thoughts and desires to heavenly goods, will not find ad- 
mission there after death. 

Ejaculation. 

O my God, would that I might say, with St. Paul, the world 
is crucified to me, and I to the world (Gal. vi. 14.) 

Gospel. (Matt. ix. 18-26.) 

At that time: As Jesus was speaking to the multitudes, behold a 
certain ruler came up, and adored him, saying: Lord, my daughter 
is even now dead ; but come, lay thy hand upon her, and she shall 



596 INSTRUCTIONS ON" 

live. And Jesus rising up, followed him, with his disciples. And 
behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve 
years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. For 
she said within herself: If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be 
healed. But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: Be of good heart, 
daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made 
whole from that hour. And when Jesus was come into the house of 
the ruler, and saw the minstrels and the multitude making a rout, he 
said : Give place, for the girl is not dead, but sleepeth. And they 
laughed him to scorn. And when the multitude was put forth, he 
went in, and took her by the hand. And the maid arose. And the 
fame hereof went abroad into all that country. 

Brief Lessons, 

The ruler and the woman here mentioned teach us, 1. That 
in diseases of body or of mind, we should have recourse to 
Jesus with faith and confidence ; and even when the malady 
continues, and seems to be incurable, we should not suffer our 
courage to sink. 

2. The sick woman said to herself: If I slwill touch only 
his garment I shall be healed. As she believed, so was it done 
to her. Condemn not, then, the faith of those who place con- 
fidence perhaps in a relic. It is not from the relic they 
expect help, but only from the author of life, God ; and how 
often does God look with complacency on their believing dis- 
position, and hear them ! 

3. At the very touch of the hem of his garment, the woman 
troubled with an issue of blood was at once made whole. If, 
then, the touch of the hem of his garment had such efficacy, 
what power must there not be in the reception of the holy 
sacrament? If, therefore, sickness of body or soul befall 
you, betake yourself to this divine physician ; make your 
confession with sincerity; receive him into your heart with 
faith and confidence like this woman, and you also shall be 
made whole. 

4. The young girl raised from death is an emblem of the 
soul dead in sin, which, through the all-powerful grace of 
Christ, rises as easily as one who sleeps. That Jesus restored 
this girl to life before only a few witnesses, the young man of 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 597 

Nairn before all the people, and Lazarus in the presence of 
many, amid tears, sighs, and prayers, is considered by most in- 
terpreters to signify three different stages of spiritual death. 
By the young girl is signified such as have sinned for the first 
time, out of human infirmity, and in secret only ; by the young 
man of Nairn, those who have sinned in act, out of malice, 
publicly; and finally, by Lazarus, open and hardened habitual 
sinners, who can be restored to spiritual life only by extraor- 
dinary graces and severe public penance. 

5. That Jesus put forth from the room the minstrels and 
attendants, indicates that spiritual resurrection cannot take 
place amid the din of earthly cares, of worldly pleasures and 
assemblages. Would you then arise from sin, banish this con- 
fusion from your heart ; shun those companies which would 
persuade you that sin is nothing so serious, that youth must 
have its revel, that it is time enough to do penance in old age, 
and hasten to Christ to raise you, by the power of his grace, 
from the deadly sleep of sin. 

Practical Lessons against Mockery and Ridicule. 

"And they laughed him to scorn." — Matt. ix. 24. 

When Jesus entered the house of Jairus, and said, "The girl 
is not dead, but sleepeth," the multitude laughed him to scorn, 
because they understood neither the meaning of his words, nor 
what he was about to do. The like treatment sensual-minded 
men of the world often give to those servants of God who, by 
word and example, preach the contempt of honors, riches, 
pleasures, and the love of poverty, humility, and mortification. 
Because such sayings are unintelligible and hateful to them, 
they turn upon them their derision and scorn. How many 
evils these scoffers cause ! How many are led away from the 
faith, deterred from virtuous acts, and betrayed into vice, by 
their scoffs! How many neglect the divine service, and the 
holy sacraments, despise pious people, give themselves up to 
gluttony and drunkenness, and in fine, do whatever the scoffers 
themselves do, rather than be laughed at and mocked! But 
woe to the mockers! 11 icy are cm abomination before the 



598 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Lord (Prov. iii. 32). lie shall he a scorn to them, and they 
shall inherit eternal shame (Prov. iii. 34, 35). Permit not 
yourself to be led astray by those who ridicule your zeal for 
virtue; pay no heed to them, according to the example of 
Jesus, and trust in him who was himself derided for your sake. 
Say to yourself, "I know, O dearest Jesus, that the servant is 
not greater than his master. When thou wast so often mocked, 
why should it appear strange to me to be jeered at and called 
senseless for endeavoring to practice devotion and virtue. I 
would not fare differently from thee, my Lord and my God." 



(fttoentjvfonrtl) arib Cast Qnnha^ after Jkntecost. 

[N. B. — If there should be more than twenty-four Sundays 
after Pentecost, the masses after the twenty-third will be of 
those Sundays after Epiphany, which were passed over, and the 
following is the order to be observed : 

If there be twenty-five Sundays, on the twenty-fourth is 
said the Mass and Gospel of the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany. 

If there be twenty-six Sundays, on the twenty-fourth is said 
the Mass and Gospel of the Fifth, and on the twenty-fifth, that 
of the Sixth after Epiphany. 

If there be twenty-seven Sundays, on the twenty-fourth is 
said the Mass of the Fourth ; on the twenty-fifth, that of the 
Fifth ; on the twenty-sixth, that of the Sixth after Epiphany. 

If there be twenty-eight Sundays, on the twenty-fourth is 
said the Mass of the Third ; on the twenty-fifth, that of the 
Fourth ; on the twenty-sixth, that of the Fifth ; on the twenty- 
seventh, that of the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany. 

The Mass and Gospel of the Twenty-fourth, are always to 
be said oh the last Sunday after Pentecost.] 

The Introit of the Mass is the same as on the Twenty-third 
Sunday. 

Prayer. 

Stir up the wills of thy faithful, O Lord, we beseech thee, 
that more earnestly seeking after the fruit of good works, they 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 599 

may receive more abundant helps from thy mercy. Through 
Christ, our Lord. 

Epistle. (Col. i. 9-14.) 

Brethren : We cease not to pray for you, and to beg that you may 
he filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom, and spiritual 
understanding: that you may walk worthy of God, in all things pleas- 
ing: being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowl- 
edge of God: strengthened with all might, according to the power of 
his glory, in all patience and long-suffering with joy, giving thanks to 
God the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot 
of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of dark- 
ness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love: 
in whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins. 

Practice. 

This epistle teaches us that we should thank God continu- 
ally, for the infinite on-ace of calling us to be Christians and 
members of the Catholic Church. In like manner should we 
pray, without ceasing, for still greater enlightenment, and 
greater strength in doing good, until, in our knowledge and 
in our practice, we attain to likeness with God. 

Gospel. (Matt. xxiv. 15-35.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: When you shall see " the 
abomination of desolation," which was spoken of by Daniel the 
prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth, let him under- 
stand. Then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains. 
And he that is on the house-top, let him not come down to take any 
thing out of his house: and he that is in the field let him not go back 
to take his coat. And woe to them that are with child, and that give 
suck in those days. But pray that your flight be not in the winter, or 
on the sabbath. For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath 
not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be. 
And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved : 
but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened. Then if 
any man shall say to you : Lo here is Christ, or there, do not believe 
him. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall 
show great signs and wonders, in so much as to deceive (if possible) 
even the elect, Behold I have told it to yon beforehand. It' there- 
fore they shall say to you: Behold he is in the desert; go ye not 



600 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

out: behold he is in the closets; believe it not. For as lightning 
cometh out of the east, and appeareth even into the west: so shall 
also the coming of the Son of man be. Wheresoever the body 
shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together. And im- 
mediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be dark- 
ened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall 
fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be moved. And 
then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then 
shall all the tribes of the earth mourn: and they shall see the Son of 
man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty. 
And he shall send his angels with a trumpet, and a great voice: and 
they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the 
farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them. And 
from the fig-tree learn a parable : when the branch thereof is now 
tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh. 
So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is 
nigh, even at the doors. Amen, I say to you, that this generation shall 
not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass 
away, but my words shall not pass away. 

Explanation. 

1. The abomination of the desolation, of which Daniel and 
Christ make mention, is the desecration of the temple, at the 
destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, when it was pro- 
faned in the most frightful manner, by robbery, murder, con- 
flagration, and the setting up of idols — about forty years after 
the death of Christ. While the Jewish population were perish- 
ing, the Christians, following the warning of Christ, fled over 
the mountains to the city of Pella. 

2. Thereby Jesus would indicate how great the danger 
would be, should they be obliged to fly in winter, or on the 
Sabbath-day, on which they were allowed to make only a jour- 
ney of five hundred paces. 

3. Herewith Christ also speaks of the end of the world, of 
which the destruction of Jerusalem was a type, and of his com- 
ing to judgment. The Church appoints, both for the begin- 
ning and the end of the ecclesiastical year, a gospel relating 
to the last judgment, in order that Christians may always 
think of it, and thereby be deterred from sin. 

4. False Christs and false prophets, like those here spoken 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 601 

of, according to the testimony of Josephus, were Eleazar, 
John, and Simon, who appeared at the time of the Jewish war, 
and under the pretence of helping the Jews, plunged them 
into still greater misfortunes. Before the end of the world, a 
false Messiah will appear, who is the Antichrist. According 
to the opinion of the holy fathers, he will be bora from among 
the Jewish people, and is called Antichrist because he will 
claim to be the redeemer and sanctifier of men, and will de- 
nounce Christ as an impostor. On account of his malice and 
cruelty, St. Paul calls him the man of sin, and the son of per- 
dition (2 Thess. ii. 3), who, out of pride, will sit in the temple 
of God, showing himself as if he were God, and will command 
all who will not worship him to be put to death. And he will, 
by his splendor, his promises, his false miracles, succeed so far, 
that not only many Jews (to whom the poor and humble Jesus 
was too insignificant) will acknowledge him to be the Mes- 
siah, but even many Christians will deny Christ and adhere to 
him. Even the elect would be in danger of being deceived by 
him, were it not that for their sake God will shorten those 
days, as he shortened the days of tribulation at the time of the 
destruction of Jerusalem. 

5. This proverbial expression signifies that wherever may be 
the wicked, who have aimed at spiritual corruption, thither 
punishment hastens to destroy them. 

6. (See explanation on the First Sunday in Advent.) 

1. The sign of the Son of man is the holy cross : that this 
sign of his humiliation may be also the sign of his exaltation, 
and of the glorification of his disciples whom the world 
despised. 

8. From this point Jesus goes on to define the time of the 
destruction of Jerusalem, and says that many of his hearers 
shall live to see it ; which was actually the case. But when 
the end of the world is to come, no one, he says, knoweth ; no, 
not the angels of heaven, but the Father alone (Matt. xxiv. 36). 
Let us, therefore, keep ourselves always ready, by a pious life, 
for the coming of the divine Judge, and with that purpose let 
us nl\ en think on the significant words of our Lord : Heaven 
and earth shflU pass away, but my words shall not pass away ! 

26 



602 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Aspiration. 
O Jesus, my Saviour and my Judge, grant me, I beseech 
thee, grace to cleanse my heart, by penance, from whatever 
defiles it, to serve thee with steadfast fidelity, to strive for the 
glory which thou hast prepared for us, to become more and 
more like thee, by joy in tribulation, and thus to be prepared 
to look with confidence for thy coming. Amen. 

Instruction on Swearing. 

" Amen, I say to you." — Matt. xxiv. 34. 

The Son of God here, and elsewhere in the gospel, often con- 
firms his sayings, as it were, with an oath ; for swearing is 
nothing else than calling upon God, upon his truth, his justice, 
or other attributes, or upon his creatures, in the name of God, 
as witnesses of the truth. 

Is swearing, then, lawful, and when ? 

Yes ; but only when necessity demands it, and when the 
matter sworn to is true and just : when a man thus swears he 
imitates God, honors him as all-holy, all-wise, all-just, and con- 
tributes to the triumph of justice and innocence (Jerem. iv. 2). 
On the other hand, great sins are committed : 1. By those 
who swear in a false and unjust cause, which may be, besides, 
of little moment ; for they call upon God as a witness to false- 
hood and wrong, thus violating his truth and justice. 2. By 
those who swear in a good cause, but without necessity or 
a sufficient reason ; for it is certainly unseemly to call God 
as witness on every trivial occasion. [See the instruction for. 
the Third Sunday in Advent.] 3. In like manner, they sin 
grievously and constantly who have become so habituated to 
swearing as to break out into oaths, without so much as know- 
ing or thinking whether the thing is true or false, whether 
they will keep their word or not ; whereby they expose them- 
selves to great danger, both because they run the risk of 
swearing falsely, and also because they frivolously abuse the 
name of God, of his saints, and of his works. 

Every one, says St. Chrysostom, who swears often, some- 
times swears falsely; just as he who talks a great deal, some- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 603 

times utters things unseemly and improper. For this reason, 
according to the opinion of St. Augustine, the Saviour forbade 
Christians to swear at all (Matt. v. 33, 34), that they might 
not fall into a habit of swearing, and by reason of that, into 
swearing falsely. Whoever has this habit should take the 
greatest pains to overcome it. To accomplish which, it will be 
useful to him to reflect, 1. That if we have to render nn ac- 
count for every idle word we speak, how much more strictly 
will we be judged for needless, idle, and false oaths ! JRemenv- 
ber thy last end, and thou shalt not sin. 2. To remember 
that persons who swear so lightly, are generally less believed 
than others. 3. To repent each time that he swears, and to 
punish himself by certain penitential practices. 

Tnstimction on ichat vie must believe concerning Hell. 

" And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with great 
power and majesty." — Matt. xxiv. 30. 

He shall come to judge the living and the dead ; to reward 
every man according to his deeds — to receive the good into 
life eternal ; to cast the bad into eternal fire. Would that all 
might consider this truth, earnestly and in season. 1. Hell is 
the never-ending punishment of those who die in mortal sin, 
unreconciled to God. In what this punishment consists is rep- 
resented to us only in figures, but these figures point to what- 
ever is most terrible. According to them, the punishment of 
hell is, first, an eternal privation of light, joy, and peace. This 
is signified by the expressions, " exterior darkness," " weeping," 
exclusion from the marriage-feast, the impassable abyss between 
the rich man and Lazarus, and the refusal of the drop of cold 
water. It is, moreover, a certain punishment, affecting soul 
and body. This is signified by the figures of the worm that 
never dies, the fire that is never quenched, the weeping and 
gnashing of teeth, the fire and brimstone. And this punish- 
ment is eternal, unalterable : those once damned can think of 
no redemption. 

2. That there is a hell, the Holy Scriptures teach expressly. 
Whoever believes in their divine authority, must believe also 



604 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

in the reality of hell. Not only do the above-mentioned figures 
signify as much, but Jesus and his disciples have positively de- 
clared its existence. Except you do penance, you shall all 
likewise perish (Luke xiii. 5). He that believeth not, shall be 
condemned (Mark xvi. 16). None who is unclean shall in- 
herit the kingdom of God. And what would be the meaning 
of the redemption of Jesus, if there were no hell, no eternal 
punishment, to redeem us from ? Even reason itself perceives 
that God's justice must be appeased, and that he who dies in 
enmity to God cannot enter into his kingdom. 

3. Therefore let us often think of hell ; — of the greatness of 
its punishment, to which nothing temporal can be compared ; 
of its duration, to which there is no end. Let us think that 
the way thereto is by unbelief, superstition, profaning the holy 
name of God, and in general by every grievous transgression 
of the commandments of God or of his Church. Let us think 
of all this in time, now, while God gives us grace for amend- 
ment, and proclaims mercy instead of justice. Let us think of 
this earnestly, and not fear the thoughts which may keep us 
from hell, but rather fear hell itself, which we can escape only 
by shunning what leads thither, and by doing what will pre- 
serve us from it. Oh, let us think of this daily, particularly in 
the hour of temptation ; then let us say to ourselves, "What 
does it profit me if I gain the whole world, but lose my own 
soul ?" or this, The pleasure is short, the pain eternal ; for the 
sake of the one, shall I make myself heir to the other ? 



iFeast of tl)e HJebicatiou of a (El)itrcl). 

The feast of the dedication of a church is the day upon 
which we annually commemorate its solemn consecration to 
God. 

Why do we celebrate the anniversary of dedication ? 

To give thanks to God for having chosen a dwelling-place 
amongst us, for having shown us therein so many favors, and 
for having preserved us in the true faith. By such an anni- 



I 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 605 

versary we should also be incited to sanctify ourselves as 
temples of God. 

Is it any thing new for churches to be dedicated and the 
anniversary of their dedication to be celebrated ? 

No ; for we read in Holy Scripture (3 Kings viii.), that 
Solomon built a magnificent temple for the Lord, the dedica- 
tion of which he solemnized during two weeks ; that this 
feast was annually observed by the Jews, and attended by 
Christ himself (St. John x. 22). The early Christians, in like 
manner, dedicated their churches, and solemnly commemorated 
their dedication every year. 

The ancient Martyrology ascribed to St. Jerome, makes men- 
tion, of the consecration of the first church at Rome, built by 
St. Peter. In the earliest days of Christianity, on account of 
persecutions, the churches were not so solemnly dedicated as 
they are in our day ; but as soon as those persecutions came 
to an end, under the Emperor Constantine, who embraced 
Christianity about the year a. d. 312, the bishops caused the 
dedications of churches to be solemnized with the most im- 
posing ceremonies (Card. Bona., L. i., ch. 16). 

Why are churches thus dedicated ? 

1. That they may thereby be particularly appropriated and 
sanctified to God's service. 2. That in them the divine service 
may be celebrated with fitness and honor. 3. That by them 
Christians may be continalJy reminded that they are figuratively 
the body of Christ, and a spiritual building, and that they may 
think of the unity and sanctity which should belong to them 
here, of the perfection they are to attain to hereafter. 4. That 
we may have a place in which to assemble together in the 
unity of the faith, in order, through prayer, the hearing of 
God's word, and the use of the holy sacraments, to cleanse 
and sanctify ourselves till we become fit for the indwelling of 
God. 5. That the power and malice of the devil, who seeks 
the destruction of such as pray, may not be able to assail them 
there. 

On the Feast of the Dedication, at the Introit of the Ma^s, 
the Church, in order to inspire veneration for the temples 
dedicated to God, uses the words of the patriarch Jacob, 



606 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

when he spoke of the place in which God appeared to him : 
Terrible is this place ; it is the house of God, and the gate of 
heaven, and shall be called the court of God (Gen. xxviii. 11). 
How lovely are thy tabernacles, Lord of Hosts ! My soul 
longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord (Ps. lxxxii. 2). 
Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who doth renew to us every year the day of the 
consecration of this thy holy temple, and dost ever bring us 
again in safety to the holy mysteries, graciously hear the 
prayers of thy people, and grant, that whoever enters this 
temple to implore blessings, may rejoice in having obtained 
all his requests. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Apoc. xxi. 2-5.) 

In those days : I saw the holy city the new Jerusalem coming down 
out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her hus- 
band. And I heard a great voice from the throne, saying: Behold 
the tabernacle of God with men, and he will dwell with them. And 
they shall be his people: and God himself with them shall be their 
God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and 
death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall 
be any more, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat 
on the throne, said: Behold, I make all things new. 

Practice. 

The Church applies this epistle, which properly describes the 
heavenly Jerusalem, or the Church triumphant in heaven, to 
the house of God, which by dedication becomes, as it were, a 
heavenly Jerusalem, and a spouse adorned for God, with whom 
he takes up his abode, that he may evermore dwell with men, 
to enrich them with his graces. And in truth, what graces 
are there that men may not partake of in the Church ? For- 
giveness of sins, real union with God in the holy sacrament 
of the altar, consolation in sorrow, relief in distress, counsel 
iu doubt, and the like. What esteem and veneration do not 
churches therefore deserve, and how careful should we not be 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 607 

to avoid profaning them ! For if an earthly king regards the 
dishonor done to his spouse or his palace, as done to himself, 
how severely will God punish the desecration of his churches ! 
He has indeed shown this in the Old Testament, as we may 
read in the book of the Machabees (2 Machab. xiv. and xv.), 
and how much more severely will he visit the desecration of 
the churches of the new law ! 



el. (Luke xix. 1-10.) 

At that time : Jesus entering in, walked through Jericho. And 
behold there was a man named Zacheus : who was the chief of the 
publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was, 
and he could not for the crowd, because he was low of stature. And 
running before, he climbed up into a sycamore-tree that he might see 
him : for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus was come to 
the place, looking up, he saw him, and said to him : Zacheus, make 
haste and come down : for this day I must abide in thy house. And 
he made haste and came down, and received him with joy. And 
when all saw it, they murmured, saying that he was gone to be a guest 
with a man that was a sinner. But Zacheus standing said to the 
Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor : and if 
I have wronged any man of any thing, I restore him four-fold. Jesus 
said to him : This day is salvation come to this house, because he also 
is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to 
save that which was lost. 

This gospel is read on the feast of the dedication of a church, 
because through that dedication Christ comes among the con- 
gregation, as he once did among the household of Zacheus, 
and dispenses grace and salvation, as he once did to that peni- 
tent publican. Furthermore, this gospel contains ''->e following 
lessons : 

I. Zacheus was a publican ; that is, one of those persons 
who, in taking customs, were apt to commit many injustices, 
were addicted to avarice and usury, and, accordingly, com- 
monly bore the name of sinners. But as he was anxious to see 
Christ, the Saviour met his desire, betook himself to him, and 
thus brought salvation to him and his whole house ; that is, he 
forgave him his sins, and received him among the true children 



608 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

of Abraham. How desirous is Christ to be with us ! His de- 
lights are to be with the children of men (Pro v. viii. 31). Why 
do Ave not go to meet him, like Zacheus ? Why do we not 
receive him into our hearts, as often as we can, in Holy Com- 
munion ? Would he not make us also, as he did Zacheus, 
children of God, and bring us grace and salvation ? 

II. As soon as Zacheus had Christ with him, he at once re- 
solved to make restitution of all unjustly gotten goods, and to 
sin no more. This was indeed a most necessary condition for 
experiencing the virtue of Christ's presence. Is it not the 
same with us ? We, too, cannot experience the benefits of 
Holy Communion, unless, like Zacheus, we restore the ill-gotten 
goods, make satisfaction for injuring our neighbor's good name, 
and shun, with care and perseverance, every sin and occasion 
of sin. 

III. The visit of our Saviour to Zacheus probably gave rise 
to the custom of making visits to one another on the feast of a 
dedication. In this there is nothing censurable ; rather is it 
praiseworthy, when done with the intention of rejoicing spirit- 
ually with one another that God has chosen in that place a 
dwelling for himself, and of congratulating one another that 
we are in possession of that faith by which alone we can be 
saved. But instead of this, what is done ? Ah, who shall de- 
scribe all the excesses, revels, quarrels, and scandals by which 
these feasts are desecrated, and which often surpass the intem- 
perance, the impurity, and madness of the heathens at their 
idolatrous festivals ? Is this fitting for Christians ? Can such 
conduct be called gratitude for the graces and benefits which, 
through the year, God has bestowed on us in our churches ? 
Could we wonder if, instead of blessings, God should send us 
curses ? Christians, who possess reason, should be ashamed to 
take part in such a manner of keeping these feasts, and Chris- 
tian magistrates should endeavor to put an end to excesses 
and scandals which threaten to bring down the wrath of God 
on them and on their country. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 609 



Practical Lessoiis on the Spiritual Temple, which is Man 
himself. 

u For you are the temple of the living God ; as God saith, I will dwell in them, 
and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." — 2 Oor, v. 16. 

St. Bernard says with reason (in his first sermon on the dedi- 
cation of a church), the Feast of Dedication is our feast also. 
For we too are temples — living temples of God — and as such 
were, in holy baptism, no less solemnly dedicated than are 
these temples of wood and stone. The ceremonies, too, for 
the dedication of a church have so great a resemblance to 
those of baptism, as to appear to have been copied from them ; 
and a baptized man, the more he excels wood and stone, should 
so much the rather be called a pure and holy temple — a dwell- 
ing of God. Every Christian is, 1. A pure and holy temple/ 
for as a church is first freed from the malice of the devil by 
manifold prayers, by exorcisms, by sprinklings with holy water, 
by repeated signs of the cross, by incense, so we, in holy bap- 
tism, by many prayers, by exorcisms and renunciations of Sa- 
tan, by frequent signs of the cross, by the breathings of the 
priest, and finally by the sanctified water, thrice poured, with 
invocation of the all-holy Trinity, are purified from all diabol- 
ical malice and sin, and dedicated as temples of God. But if 
we are such, does there not, therefore, rest upon us a sacred 
obligation, as St. Augustine says, to maintain that purity which 
we have received in holy baptism, and to suffer nothing within 
the temple of our hearts which can offend the eyes of so pure a 
God ? For, woe to those who defile and desecrate the temple 
of God ! God himself, says St. Paul, shall destroy them (1 Cor. 
iii. 17). But the temple of the heart is defiled by every mortal 
sin, particularly by impurity. For by the act of sin, man, as it 
were, expels God from his temple, prepares a place for the 
devil, and sets up an idol. How grievously is God thereby 
offended ! Flee, therefore, from sin ! But if you have indeed 
driven God from your heart by mortal sin, and given place to 
the devil, banish him again by true repentance, and dedicate 
anew the temple of your heart with the blood of the Lamb, 



610 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

through the holy sacraments, as a church that has been dese- 
crated is re-consecrated and reconciled. 

2. Every Christian should be a holy temple, in which God, 
according to his command (John iv. 23), should be adored in 
spirit and in truth, in which we should serve him in holiness 
and justice (Luke i. 75, 76) : that is, the Christian should be 
adorned with all virtues, advancing from virtue to virtue. To 
this, the ceremonies of baptism point directly. Holiness, 
therefore, is something essential for the Christian. Indeed, a 
Christian who does not earnestly strive for it, is no true 
Christian. Is this any thing impossible? Surely not; for 
holiness consists in the love of God and of our neighbor, and 
in the exact and perfect fulfilment of the will of God. But 
to love God and to fulfil his will is not impossible, for God 
assists with his grace, which is strong in our weakness, and 
dwells with him who heartily desires to do this (John xv. 14). 
But if God be for us, who is against us ? (Rom. viii. 31.) If 
God supports us, labors with us, suffers with us, combats with 
us, what can be called difficult, or even impossible ? 

Aspiration : from St. Augustine. 

O God, who, for no merits of my own, but purely of thy 
grace, hast, in holy baptism, made me thy temple, grant that 
I may ever keep it pure and holy for thee. Purify this temple 
from all vices ; adorn it with virtues ; and permit nothing to 
be ever found in this thy dwelling, which may offend the eyes 
of thy Majesty. And grant that at last, as a living stone, 
hewn and prepared in the tribulations of this world, I may be 
built into the heavenly Jerusalem. Amen. 

Short Instructions on the Ceremonies at the Dedication of a 

Church. 
1. The bishop who dedicates the church, together with the 
people for whom the church is dedicated, must, on the ap- 
pointed day, fast till the dedication. This pious custom is de- 
rived from an apostolic tradition, according to which fasting 
was to be observed by every one before every high solemnity. 
At the same time, we are thereby reminded that we ought, by 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 613 

invisible unction by which Jesus was anointed with the Holy 
Ghost. 

9. The holy relics, before they are brought into the 
church, are carried around the church by the clergy in pro- 
cession. The people follow them, chanting, Kyrie eleison ! 
Lord have mercy upon us! Finally, the people enter the 
church together, after the bishop. 

10. Under the guidance of Christ, we must follow the saints 
in order to arrive at the Church triumphant in heaven. Mean- 
while we call without ceasing upon God, from this world, for 
mercy and grace, that we may one day gain admittance into 
the heavenly company of the saints. 

11. On entering the church' the 149th Psalm is sung. 
Therein is set forth the joy of the saints, when Christ shall 

bring the elect into the heavenly temple to enjoy eternal 
glory. 

12. The bishop inserts the holy relics in the altar, and 
closes up the stone, upon which he rests, with mortar prepared 
with the Gregorian water. 

Thus shall the saints in heaven be incorporated with Christ, 
making one body with him ; but we must remember that we 
can only receive through Christ what we desire to obtain by 
the intercession of the saints. 

13. One of the priests passes around the altar, incensing it. 
The priest represents that angel of whom the Apocalypse 

says (Apoc. v. 8), that he had golden vials full of odor before 
the throne of God. Incense is an emblem of prayer, and 
incensing, therefore, reminds Christians to pray with earnest- 
ness. 

14. The twelve crosses are now anointed ; which signifies 
the blessing of which the congregation are to partake in this 
church. 

15. The bishop then forms five crosses from blessed incense 
and lays upon them five others of wax, which are lighted and 
burnt upon the altar. 

These lights are symbolical of the offerings of the faithful ; 
and of their hearts, enlightened by faith, and burning with 
the fire of love. 



614: INSTRUCTIONS. 

16. Finally succeed other anointings; the covers and linen 
for the altar are blessed and spread thereon ; after which the 
bishop offers up the first sacrifice of the mass. 

With such significant ceremonies the holy Catholic Church 
celebrates the dedication of a church, to the end that the 
faithful may be thereby edified and filled with holy veneration 
and respect for the house of God. At the same time she ad- 
monishes us, as living temples of God, to sanctify ourselves 
in this life, and to strive to attain to fellowship with the 
Church eternally triumphant in heaven. 






THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 611 

mortification and abstinence, to dedicate our souls and bodies, 
as spiritual temples, to God; and that without penance we 
cannot enter into the house of God, eternal in the heavens. 

2. The relics of the saints and three grains of incense, 
which are at the dedication to be inclosed in the altar, are, on 
the previous day, deposited in a place prepared, near the 
church. 

The altar represents Christ : the placing of the holy relics 
in a separate place is therefore to remind us that the saints 
lived on earth as strangers, in order one day to be incorporated 
with Christ (2 Cor. v. 4). The insertion of the relics into 
the altar, is to remind us of the intimate union of the saints 
with Christ. 

3. On the walls of the church are erected twelve crosses, 
before each of which is placed a candle : these candles are 
lighted before the commencement of the dedication. The 
holy cross is that sign, in which, after the example of St. Paul, 
we Christians should glory. The twelve lights represent the 
twelve Apostles, who were called by Jesus the lights of the 
world, and (Matt. v. 14) who proclaimed the faith in Christ 
crucified throughout the world. The lighting of the candles 
before the commencement of the dedication, signifies that the 
Apostles, before beginning to propagate the Church of Jesus 
Christ, were kindled with the fire of the Holy Ghost. 

4. The bishop recites the Penitential Psalms, blesses water 
and salt, and therewith sprinkles, first himself and those next 
him, and then the walls of the church three times, within and 
without, — after each sprinkling knocking, with his crosier, at 
the church door, which is not opened till after the third time. 

The holy water reminds us that we are cleansed through the 
blood of Jesus, and that we ought to appear before God with 
contrite hearts. The sprinkling three times reminds us, on the 
one hand, of the most holy Trinity, by whom all things are 
sanctified; and on the other, of the three hundred years of 
persecution of the early Christians. The opening of the door 
after the three knockings, signifies that the devil is overcome 
only by earnest combat ; that we could never have entered 
heaven unless Christ had opened it for us by his death on the 



612 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

cross ; that we too must combat, and will conquer, if we fight 
under the cross. 

The bishop therefore makes the sign of the cross on the 
threshold, and says, "Behold the sign of the cross; our ene- 
mies shall fly therefrom." 

5. The bishop, accompanied only by those who serve at the 
altar, enters into the church, leaving the clergy and people out- 
side the church. 

This signifies the ascension of Christ, when, as conqueror of 
death and hell, he took with him a company of the elect into 
heaven, and established the Church triumphant, or victorious. 

6. The hymn " Veni Creator Spiritus," is then intoned ; the 
church is strewn with ashes ; the Litany of All Saints and 
other prayers are said, and the Benedictus is sung; during 
which the bishop, with his crosier, writes in the strewn ashes 
the Latin and Greek alphabets, in the form of a cross. 

Hereby is signified that through the power of the cross of 
Christ, people of different nations and tongues are gathered 
into the one Church. 

7. The bishop blesses water, wine, salt, and ashes, mixes 
them together, and therewith sprinkles the altar and the walls 
of the church. 

This water is called " Gregorian," because Pope Gregory the 
Great (in the 6th century) instituted this custom of blessing 
with water, wine, salt, and ashes mingled together. By it is 
signified the union of the divine and human natures in Christ ; 
the water being the emblem of his human, the wine of his 
divine nature. The ashes are an emblem of death ; the salt, of 
incorruptibility ; and both together, of man, who consists of a 
mortal body and an immortal soul. The mingling of the 
water and wine, ashes and salt, denotes the intimate union of 
man with Christ through the holy sacraments ; which is also 
indicated by sprinkling the walls, which are an emblem of 
Christian people, and the altar, which is an emblem of Christ. 

8. On the table of the altar are engraved five crosses, which 
the bishop anoints with holy oil and chrism. 

The five crosses are to remind us of the five wounds of Jesus. 
The anointing of them with holy oil and chrism, signifies that 



REVIEW OF THE GOSPELS. 617 

Monday — escaping, in the combat with persecution ; 

Tuesday — contending, with forbearance and charity, against his ene- 
mies ; 

Wednesday — exposing hypocrisy and sensuality ; 

Thursday — meeting the prejudices of the people ; 

Friday — contending against sectarian delusions ; 

Saturday — rebuking the disposition to judge. 

FOUPwTH SUNDAY.— Jesus, Benefactor of mankind: 

Monday — zealous for the kingdom of God ; 

Tuesday — showing how good deeds are elevated to the rank of re- 
ligious acts ; 

Wednesday — teaching to do good in spite of ingratitude and perse- 
cution ; 

Thursday — to do good where others fall back ; 

Friday — and that the more when friendship or love call upon us ; 

Saturday — to do good as in the sight of the Father. 

FIFTH SUNDAY. — Jesus y Saviour of mankind, sent oy the Fa- 
ther : 

Monday — whose Spirit is poured upon him ; 

Tuesday — the Spirit who opposes the world ; 

Wednesday — who is one with the Father ; 

Thursday — who shows himself in active love ; 

Friday — who is rejected by the world ; 

Saturday — who shall one day triumph. 

PALM SUXDA Y. — Jesus offers himself as a Sacrifice : 

Monday — \ 

Tuesday — > by the sufferings which preceded his death ; 

Wednesday — ; 

Thursday — preparation of the Sacrifice ; 

Friday — death of the Redeemer ; 

Saturday — his victory. 

(Easter grnibaj). 

Jesus the Herald of life eternal : 

Easter Monday — showing himself to be alive ; 

First Sunday after Easter — bringing peace to the faithful ; 

Second Sunday — the good Shepherd calling his sheep ; 

Third Sunday — by sufferings preparing our happiness ; 

FouRTn Sunday — encouraging us for the future; 

Fifth Sunday — pointing to the Father, who will give eternal life. 



618 REVIEW OF THE GOSPELS. 

Qiscsneion HDaji. 

Jesus going to the Father. 

Sunday aftee Ascension Day — Jesus asking for the Holy Ghost ; 
Pentecost Sunday — sending the Holy Ghost ; 
Monday after Pentecost — revealing the Holy Ghost ; 
Trinity Sunday — Jesus one with the Father and the Holy Ghost. 



Corpus Qlljristi. 

Jesus the Bread of Life : 

Second Sunday after Pentecost — communicating himself in love ; 

Third Sunday — the happiness of such as receive him ; 

Fourth Sunday — blessing ; 

Fifth Sunday — -justifying and reconciling ; 

Sixth Sunday — showing mercy and protection ; 

Seventh Sunday — keeping his promises ; 

Eighth Sunday — rewarding men according to their works ; 

Ninth Sunday — warning ; 

Tenth Sunday — showing the necessity of inward sanctity ; 

Eleventh Sunday — loosing the bands of sense ; 

Twelfth Sunday — loving ; 

Thirteenth Sunday — helping ; 

Fourteenth Sunday — exalting ; 

Fifteenth Sunday — quickening to the praise of God \ 

Sixteenth Sunday — perfecting the laws of men ; 

Seventeenth Sunday — setting forth the law of God ; 

Eighteenth Sunday — forgiving human weakness ; 

Nineteenth Sunday — foiling human malice ; 

Twentieth Sunday — hearkening to child-like confidence ; 

Twenty-first Sunday — forgiving acknowledged guilt; 

Twenty-second Sunday — distinguishing between the necessary and 
the unnecessary ; 

Twenty-third Sunday — saving the helpless ; 

Twenty-fourth Sunday — completing redemption and awarding judg- 
ment. 



END OF TART FIRST. 



REVIEW: 



THE CONNECTION OF ALL THE GOSPELS OF THE 
ECCLESIASTICAL YEAR. 



The word of God, preached during the year, proclaims Jesus 
Christ as the Sacrifice, Food, aud Life of mankind, in the mani- 
fold relations of man to God, and of God to man. Thus we 
have at — 

Jesus previously announced and expected, 

First Sunday — as Redeemer of the world ; 

Second Sunday — as Perfect Teacher and Worker of miracles ; 

Third Sunday — as the Messenger from Heaven, who brings inward 
peace ; the Representative of the Most High. 

Fourth Sunday — as the Restorer of the order of God, and the Au- 
thor of eternal salvation. 

Christmas. 

Jesus, God, appearing in the likeness of man, 
With (a) Sanctity, (5) Justice, (c) Truth. 

(Epipijang. 

Jesus appearing with his royal attributes, drawing all nations 
into his kingdom by the light of Truth. 

First Sunday after Epiphany — Jesus imparting wisdom ; 
Second Sunday — reigning with •omnipotence over the elements ; 
Third Sunday — over the spirit ; 
Fourth Sunday — over ill fortune ; 



616 REVIEW OF THE GOSPELS. 

Fifth Sunday — Jesus' love, by the effects of the Spirit through 

words ; 
Sixth Sunday — Jesus blessing the Divine Word, and developing the 

design of his appearing in regard to mankind. 



Preparation for Lent. 

Septuagesima Sunday — Jesus denning the field and its labors ; 
Sexagesima Sunday — blessing the laborers and the field ; 
Quinquagesima Sunday — the fruit of labor : offer of the love re- 
jected by men. Jesus fulfilling his designs in regard to man. 



Cent. 

Ash- Wednesday — Jesus confirming virtue, by valuing acts according 
to their spirit ; 

Thuesday — sanctifying, through sanctifying faith ; 

Friday — perfecting, by love ; 

Saturday — completing, by implicit confidence. 

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.— Jesus, the perfect pattern of man- 
kind — In the struggle between the spirit and the temptations 
of the senses ; 

Monday — declaring good works, performed in the love of God, meri- 
torious ; 

Tuesday — zealous for the service and temple of God ; 

Wednesday — restoring us to the place of children of God, by regen- 
eration ; 

Thursday — by adoption through faith ; 

Friday — by abolishing the law of the flesh ; 

Saturday — by being supernaturally transfigured. 

SECOND SUNDAY.— Jesus, the Son of God, by his holiness: 

Monday — coming down from heaven ; 

Tuesday — by virtue, to exalt the earthly to the heavenly ; 

Wednesday — by humility, to raise from the servitude of sense to the 
freedom of the just ; 

Thursday — by the consequences of sensuality, to show the superior- 
ity of spiritual things; 

Friday — by showing the weakness of our enemies, to encourage us 
to virtue; 

Saturday — to make the return to virtue attractive 

THIRD SUNDAY.— Jesus. Protector of the just: 



PART II. 



.^he Proper of the Saints. 



INSTRUCTIONS 



ON 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS 



^Mt $MQVL&. 



CONTAINING AN INSTRUCTION ON THE VENERATION OF THE SAINTS, 
THE LIVES OF THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN MOST REMARKABLE, 
AND EXPLANATIONS OF THE EPISTLES AND GOS- 
PELS PROPER TO THEIR FESTIVALS. 



Instruction on the Veneration and Invocation of the 

Saints. 

In regard to the veneration aud invocation of the saints, the 
Holy Catholic Church teaches : 1. That it is a practice in ex- 
istence from the earliest times of Christianity, to honor the 
memory of the saints in heaven by feasts dedicated to them, 
and bv their images and relics. 2. That the saints who feign 
with Christ present before God their intercession for men : it 
is therefore good and profitable to invoke them, in order to 
obtain divine benefits (Cone. Trid., Sess. xxv.) 

I. — On the Veneration of the Saints. 

What is it to venerate the saints ? 

To venerate the saints is to show veneration, love, and con- 
fidence towards these friends of God and coheirs with Christ, 
who, out of love to him, have gone through the fight, are now 



622 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

honored by him (Ps. cxxxviii. 17), and reign with him in eter- 
nal happiness; who are also the friends of men, in whose hap- 
piness they take the deepest interest, and for whom they, 
without ceasing, supplicate God. In honoring, therefore, the 
worth and merits of the saints as the friends of God, we honor 
also God himself. The veneration of the saints is thus as far 
removed from the adoration which belongs to God only, as is 
the creature from the Creator, since the Catholic Church hon- 
ors them not as God, but only as friends of God (to whom 
alone she pays adoration as God and Lord), — doing this to honor 
God, who has shown himself so wonderful in his saints. 

But does not the veneration of the saints infringe upon the 
honor due to God ? 

No: it is rather a confirmation of it, since it refers only to 
God, and, in the saints, honors only him. Do we not honor 
the king when we honor his ministers ; the father, when for his 
sake we honor his child ; the friend, for whose sake we honor 
a friend ? Do we not, therefore, honor God in honoring those 
who are his friends and servants ? 

Are we permitted, then, to venerate the saints ? 

Yes: and not only permitted, but we are also obliged to 
venerate them if w r e would honor God. For, as he is a liar, 
who although hating his brother, yet says that he loves God, 
so too is he who professes to honor God, and yet will not honor 
the friends and disciples of Jesus. Does not contempt of the 
servant reach back to the master ? 

Is it also lawful to venerate the relics of the saints ; that 
is, their bones, and articles that belonged to them ? 

Without doubt it is. This, indeed, has been the unbroken 
practice, both under the old law and the new, from the earliest 
times ; and God has sanctioned it by the most remarkable 
miracles. Thus, he brought a dead man to life by the bones 
of Eliseus (4 Kings xiii. 21). The woman troubled with an 
issue of blood was made whole by barely touching the gar- 
ments of Christ (Matt. ix. 22 ; Mark v. 22 ; Luke viii. 20). By 
the shadow of St. Peter (Acts v. 15, 16), and the handkerchiefs 
and aprons of St. Paul (Acts xix. 12), different diseases were 
Cured, and evil spirits expelled. And how innumerable are 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 623 

the well-authenticated miracles, which in all ages have been, 
and yet are wrought, at the graves of martyrs and other 
saints ! 

Why ought we to venerate the relics of the saints? 

The reason is well given by the Council of Trent (Sess. xvi.) 
They are precious remains of those bodies which, in their life- 
time, were members of Christ and temples of the Holy Ghost, 
and which shall one day be raised up and glorified. They 
were the instruments of their virtues, and of countless benefits 
conferred by these men. Is it not, therefore, just and reason- 
able that they should be held in honor by us ? Does not the 
child, the brother, the friend, preserve with honor the remains 
of beloved parents, sisters, or friends? And shall that be 
wrong in regard to religion which is right in regard to every 
thing else? 

Is it lawful to honor images of the saints and the holy cross? 

Yes ; for if it is no sin to honor the likenesses of sovereigns 
and other persons, why should it not be lawful to honor the 
images of Christ and of the saints? 

But is not the honor paid to images forbidden by the first 
commandment of God? 

By no means ; since, if it were, God himself would have 
broken this commandment when he directed Moses to adorn 
the ark of the covenant with two cherubim of beaten gold 
(Exod. xxv. 18), and to set up a brazen serpent (Numb. xxi. 
8) ; and when he ordered various figures and carvings to be 
set up in the temple at Jerusalem (3 Kings vi. 29). This first 
commandment is only intended to forbid our attributing to 
images either the divine nature or the divine power : neither 
should we adore them, nor trust in them, as though they could 
help us, — like the heathen, who placed their hope in their idols. 
The Catholic Church permits nothing of this in regard to the 
images of the saints. 

What is the aim of the Church in the use of images? 

By setting up images in churches, she designs, as St. Greg- 
ory says, to place before men, as it were, a book from which 
they may learn the mysteries and the mercies of God ; what 
Christ has done for us, and what the saints have done for 



624 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Christ and heaven ; that thereby we may be moved to thank- 
fulness, to the love of God, and to the imitation of the saints. 

For the same reason, how much is it to be wished that in 
all Christian dwellings the immodest and scandalous pictures, 
by which innocence is so often seduced, might be removed, to 
give place to such as are edifying ! 

Is it lawful to build churches, to say mass, to offer sacrifice, 
to make vows to the saints, their images, or relics ? 

No ; for such acts are acts of the worship that belongs to 
God alone. If, for instance, a mass is said in honor of a saint, 
it is not offered to the saint, but to God, in commemoration of 
the saint. Accordingly, St. Augustine says, " It is not to the 
martyrs that we build churches, but to God, the Lord of mar- 
tyrs, even though we build them over the graves of the mar- 
tyrs. No one of our priests has ever said, ' We offer to thee, 
O Peter, or to thee, O Paul!' What is offered, is offered to 
God, by whom the martyrs are crowned." Therefore, also, the 
Church, on certain feasts of the saints, sings at the Introit of 
the Mass, "Let us rejoice in the Lord, as we celebrate the fes- 
tival of St. N., on which the angels rejoice, with one voice 
praising the Son of God." 

Can we then commit sin by going too far in our veneration 
of the saints, their images and relics ? 

Certainly : if we honor them as much, or even more than 
we do God himself; if we set God, as it were, aside, and 
direct to the saints the prayers and devotions that are due to 
him; if we repose in them a presumptuous confidence, as 
though they could and would help us of themselves; if, on ac- 
count of particular devotion to certain saints, we promise our- 
selves a happy death and heaven, without taking care to lead 
a pious life; if we supplicate from them only temporal goods, 
such as money or treasures, using to that end superstitious 
prayers, invented, not by the Church, but by the devil and god- 
less men ; if we invoke the aid of the saints to commit crime ; 
it we represent the saints in unbecoming and scandalous pic- 
tures; it we expose for veneration doubtful relics, not author- 
ized by the bishops; or, if we trade and traffic in relics that 
are penuine. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 625 

Why do Protestants reject the veneration of the saints and 
of their relics ? 

If they knew the doctrine of the Church, or if they would 
take pains to know what it is, they would not reject it ; but in 
general they denounce what they do not understand. 

The Catholic Church does not command her people to ven- 
erate the saints, their images or relics, but she teaches that 
this veneration is pious and profitable. The Catholic does not 
honor the saints as he does God ; he does not believe, and is 
not permitted to believe, that there is any power or divinity in 
pictures or relics ; and from them, accordingly, asks nothing ; 
but only from Christ and the saints, whom the pictures and 
images represent : he puts his confidence, not in pictures or 
images, like the heathen, but in God alone, before whom the 
saints are heard in our behalf, on account of the merits of 
Christ. 

Is it not a falsehood to say that the Pope makes saints of 
men? 

Yes, it is a calumny invented to slander the Catholic Church. 
God alone can make saints of men : only through his grace, 
and by faithful co-operation with it, can a Christian become 
holy and blessed. The Pope, as the head of the Catholic 
Church, merely declares that this or that Catholic Christian 
may be venerated and invoked, as one whom God himself 
has pronounced righteous, by the miracles which he lias 
wrought through him. But, before any such declaration is 
published by the Pope, a long and very strict examination 
is held in regard to the life of him whom it is proposed to 
canonize. 

What are the proceedings in the canonization of a saint ? 

They are the following: When a person has died in the odor 
of sanctity, and the report is circulated that God has wrought 
miracles by him, the bishop of the diocese, upon the oaths of 
trustworthy persons authenticating the same, prepares a state- 
ment setting forth the fame of sanctity and the report of mira- 
cles. This statement is then sent to the Congregation of Kites, 
at Rome. By them it is opened and carefully examined. If it 
is found by them to be correct, it is communicated to the Pope, 



626 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

who appoints one of the cardinals of the Congregation a com- 
missioner to collect and produce all the evidence necessary for 
the process about to be instituted, in regard to the life of the 
saint, and report thereon. At the same time there are chosen 
oppose rs of the canonization, to subject it, as it were, to trial. 
After that, a real jury is impannelled; that is, cardinals are 
chosen who are sworn carefully to examine and judge the life 
of the saint, and all evidence for and against him. Before this 
jury advocates appear, of whom one or more undertake, under 
oath, the defence of the saint; others, the charges against 
him ; and it is their duty to bring forward every circumstance, 
even the most trifling, which may cast an unfavorable light 
upon the life of the saint, in order that the truth may thereby 
be the more clearly elicited. Physicians, surgeons, and natural- 
ists are also summoned, whose duty it is to examine the al- 
leged miracles, in order to ascertain whether they were really 
miracles, or only natural occurrences. As soon as this jury is 
impannelled, and the trial begun, the saint receives the title of 
" Venerable ;" which is as much as to say that he is worthy of 
beatification. His canonization, however, does not take place 
until fifty years after his death. During this period the trial is 
continued. First, all the works, conduct, and acts of the saint 
are investigated, and the least thing therein found contrary to 
good morals, causes the canonization to fall to the ground. It 
his works are examined, this causes the trial to be put off ten 
years, in order to the admission of more testimony in regard 
to the character of those works. After ten years, the virtues 
of the saint, as for instance, faith, hope, charity, and the four 
cardinal virtues, fortitude, prudence, temperance, and justice, 
which the saint must have practiced in the highest degree, are 
subjected to a careful and severe examination. For this pur- 
pose the Pope appoints commissioners to inquire how those 
virtues were practiced by the saint in the places where he lived 
and worked. After this examination is concluded, the Holy 
Congregation considers the report of these commissioners, the 
testimony of the witnesses, &c, and thereupon submits the 
whole trial, with all the documents relating thereto, to the con- 
scientious inspection and examination of the Consistory, con- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 627 

sisting of all the cardinals, archbishops, and bishops of the 
Roman Court. Of this body there are several meetings, at 

which the Pope is often present, partly to examine for himself, 
and partly to ask counsel of the bishops. 

It is only after the Pope has done this, after asking God for 
enlightenment, and even instituting public prayers to obtain. 
the necessary light from heaven, that he publishes a bull per- 
mitting the ceremonies for the beatification to commence. As 
the day approaches on which the solemn beatification is to take 
place, St. Peter's Church, at Rome, the largest and most beau- 
tiful church in the whole world, is adorned with all possible 
splendor ; thousands of candles gleam on all sides of the 
church ; the wall and columns are covered, from top to bottom, 
with costly red satin ; the high altar glitters with gold and 
precious stones, and over it hangs a picture, as yet veiled, of 
the saint whose beatification is about to be commenced. The 
Pope, surrounded by all the cardinals and bishops, appears, at- 
tended by his court. He kneels down, and again prays for en- 
lightenment ; then the cardinal who is to celebrate High Mass, 
coming forth, vested with a golden cope, and a mitre on his 
head, reads, in a loud voice, the brief of the Pope, in which is 
set forth that the venerable servant of God whose trial is now- 
concluded, is allowed to be venerated and invoked as one of 
the saints of God, in certain places, and by certain religious 
orders. He then intones the Te Ileum ■ during which, amid 
the roar of cannon, the veil tails from the picture, and the 
Pope and cardinals, together with the whole multitude, fall upon 
their knees to venerate the saint and praise God, who has glori- 
tied himself in him. This is only the solemn act of beatification ; 
the canonization is not yet accomplished. That is the declara- 
tion that the saint is allowed to be venerated throughout the 
whole Catholic Church. Before this take< place, it must be 
shows that God has wrought fresh miracles through the saint 
since his beatification. It is only after this has been done that 
the canonization takes place, attended with solemnities like 
those at his beatification. 

From all this, it is evident that no pr<>ce>s i> conducted with 
more care. conscientiousness, and severity, than the process of 



628 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

the beatification and canonization of a saint ; that judgment is 
finally given only when God has already decided the question 
by the miracles which he has wrought through the saint ; and 
that, therefore, it is not the Pope, but God himself, who makes 
saints, and glorifies those servants of his who in life have kept 
continually before themselves his honor and pleasure. 

How may and ought we to venerate the saints ? 

As God and the Church require: accordingly, we should 
praise God for the glory he has given to the saints ; should 
show a well-ordered confidence in them, by invoking their 
assistance in time of need ; should treat their relics and im- 
ages with reverence, and sanctity with devotion the feasts 
dedicated to them — as has* been said in the Instruction on the 
Ecclesiastical Year. 

Are all the saints to be venerated alike ? 

As to that, degrees have been established by God and by the 
Church : by God, in that to some saints he has given greater 
graces, both before and after death ; by the Church, in that, 
for this very reason, she has commended certain saints to a 
more zealous veneration. Besides, she has established certain 
choirs, or ranks of saints, according to the dignity of their 
vocation, and the manner by which they have glorified God. 

The most distinguished veneration is shown by her to the 
Blessed Virgin Mary, as to the spouse, full of grace and truth, 
of the Holy Ghost, the Mother of our God and Saviour, and 
thereby the mother of us also. $ 

Can any thing more be wanting to justify the Church ? 

After Mary, the Church pays particular veneration to St. 
Joseph, as the foster-father of Jesus ; also to the holy angels, 
as our faithful protectors and models ; and, for like reasons, to 
our own patron saints, to those of our church, our calling, and 
our country. 

The ranks of the saints are the following : 1. The angels, 
who, although they are the most noble spirits and servants 
of God, are sent to the service of those who shall inherit sal- 
vation (Heb. i. 4). 2. The patriarchs, who were forefathers 
of Christ according to the flesh, and types of Christ by their 
virtues. 3. T/ie prophets, who, as instruments of the Holy 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 629 

Ghost, instructed men concerning the Avill of God, and pre- 
pared them for the coming of the Saviour of the world. 4. 
TJie apostles, who, as the witnesses of the Godhead of Christ, 
the messengers of peace, the fathers and pastors of the flock, 
are the foundation and pillars of the Church. 5. The evangel- 
ists, who left for us in writing the joyful news of the kingdom 
of God. 6. The martyrs, who, for the sake of faith and virtue, 
sacrificed all, even their lives, and with their blood so enriched 
the held of the Church that it brought forth an innumerable 
multitude of Christians. 7. The bishops and priests, who, as 
good shepherds, have faithfully fed their flocks with the holy 
sacraments, with the doctrines of the gospel, and with good 
example; have guarded them against wolves; and by offering 
up the holy sacrifice, have, in a manner, placed themselves as 
mediators between Gojd and their people. 8. The monks and 
hermits, who, rejecting all the honors, goods, and comforts of 
life, have, as it were, buried themselves alive in solitude. 9. 
The confessors, who would not allow themselves to be carried 
away by mockery, or persecution, or by seductive example, 
from the faith and the strict observance of the evangelical law. 
10. TJie virgins, who have kept unstained that virginal purity 
which they valued more than the pleasures of the world, and 
who therefore in heaven follow the Lamb, and sing a new 
song, which none but they sing (Apoc. xiv. 3, 4). 11. The 
vridows, who have sanctified their state by humility, patience, 
industry, Christian education of their children, and resignation 
to the will of God. 12. The penitents, who, after having made 
shipwreck of innocence, have seized the plank of penance, and 
by subjecting themselves to the greatest austerities, walking 
in the narrow path, have entered into heaven through the 
narrow gate. 

II. — On the Invocation of the Saints. 

What is it to invoke the saints ? 

It is to address ourselves to the saints, that they may pray 
to God for us. 

On what is founded our belief that the saints pray for us? 
1. On the doctrine of the communion of saints. For, by reason 



630 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

of this communion, there exists the closest spiritual union among 
all the members of the Church, as being members of the one 
body of Christ ; so that the spiritual good of one is partaken 
of by all, and all continually make intercession for one another 
(James v. 16 ; Apoc. v. 8). 2. Upon the saints' love for their 
neighbors; by virtue of which, while yet on earth, they sacri- 
ficed every thing, even life, for their fellow-men. This love 
has not been extinguished, in them by death (1 Cor. xiii. 8), 
but they have carried it with them into heaven, and now love 
us so much the more, as they are now so much the nearer to God. 
This love they would surely manifest by praying to God for 
us ; especially since they know, from their own experience, to 
how many dangers our salvation is exposed. 

Is it lawful, then, to call upon the saints for their intercession ? 

If a man may call upon his brothers and sisters for help, and 
upon pious people yet living for their prayers to God in his 
behalf, as God advised the friends of Job to do (Job xlii. 8), 
as St. Paul did (1 Thess. v. 25), as non-Catholics themselves do, 
why should not a man invoke the intercession of the saints in 
the presence of God, who are our brethren ? 

But is not the invocation of the saints opposed to trust in 
God, and to the mediatorship of Christ ? 

No; for we do not address ourselves to the saints in any 
such sense as if we would not address ourselves to God ; but, 
confessing ourselves to be sinners, and unworthy to appear be- 
fore God, we betake ourselves to these friends of God and 
glorified brethren of ours, that through their intercession, 
which prevails much before him, he may be gracious to us, 
and bestow upon us his favors. To call upon the saints, there- 
fore, no way interferes with our calling upon God ; for we call 
upon God as the author of every best gift (James i. 17), and 
such prayer to God is an act of divine worship ; but we invoke 
the saints as intercessors, who are to pray for us and with us. 
In like manner, by the invocation of the saints no wrong is 
done to the mediatorship of Christ. Christ is and remains 
our only mediator through whom we have access to the Father 
(Eph. ii. 18) ; but the saints are only intercessors who must 
pray to God for us through Jesus Christ. Therefore, to God 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 631 

we say, " Have mercy upon us ! Hear us !" but to the saints, 
"Pray for us!" and all the prayers of the Church end, 
" Through Jesus Christ our Lord." 

But do the saints have knowledge of our prayers ? 

The holy angels rejoice over the conversion of the sinner 
(Luke xv. 10), and offer up the prayers of the saints, as pleas- 
ing incense before the face of God (Apoc. viii. 3). Ought not 
the like to be allowed to the saints, as being the friends of 
God and of Jesus Christ, and as being partakers of like glory 
with the angels? (John xv. 14, 15.) Did not Onias and Jere- 
mias, after their death, have knowledge of the sad condition 
of the Jewish people, and zealously pray for them ? (2 Mach. 
xv. 12, et seq) God has a thousand ways of making known 
to them our prayers. 

How, then, must the invocation of the saints be conducted, 
to be pleasing to God and profitable to us ? 

In accordance with what has been said, it must, 1. Like the 
veneration of the saints, tend above all to the glory of God ; 
2. It must be through Jesus Christ, through whom alone Ave 
have access to the Father; 3. Our invocation must contain 
nothing unreasonable, nothing injurious to the salvation of our 
souls ; 4. It must be accompanied by a life ordered in the fear 
of God, and after the example of the saints. How can the 
sinner, who is the enemy of God, expect to be heard, so long 
as he remains in sin ? 5. In particular, as the Church proposes 
to us our own patron saints, and those of our country and 
church, not only as intercessors and protectors, but also as 
patterns, we should strive not only to obtain their intercession, 
but also to imitate their lives, that we may make ourselves 
worthy of their protection. 

Devotion to a Saint on the day of his Feast. 

O Saint 1ST., I rejoice from my heart, and congratulate thee, 
that God gave thee grace to despise the world and all temporal 
goods, to aspire after virtue, and to persevere in good works un- 
til thou earnest to him, through a happy death, and receivedst 
the crown of eternal life. God be praised by me for this, and 
from my heart I desire that he may be everywhere praised in 



632 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

thee, and thou in him. I also beseech thee to obtain for me 
grace to follow zealously thy example, to despise temporal and 
aspire to eternal goods, that I also may obtain the happiness 
which thou enjoyest throughout eternity. Through Christ. 

What are we to hold in regard to the veneration of saints 
in particular places, and pilgrimages thither ? 
What God and the Church teach us : 

1. To make a pilgrimage is to visit a place become remark- 
able on account of some religious event (as, for instance, by 
miraculous answers to prayer), in order to pray there ; whether 
one is animated with confidence of being more certainly heard 
in that place, or whether he goes thither in consequence of a 
vow, to thank God for graces received. 

II. Now is such confidence, are such vows, in accordance 
with Christianity, and reasonable ? They would not be, if one 
believed it necessary to go from where he was to some, other 
place in order to be heard ; if he believed that he could be 
heard without changing his life ; if, on account of pilgrimages, 
he were to neglect higher obligations. But when such is not 
the case — where, rather, persons are animated by fervent faith, 
true confidence, penitence, and devotion — then, certainly, pil- 
grimages are not to be considered as opposed to Christianity, 
or unreasonable. For, 1. God has in all ages distinguished cer- 
tain places by perfectly well-authenticated miracles, and be- 
stowed rewards upon certain devotions. Thus the Holy Sepul- 
chre at Jerusalem, the shrines of St. Peter and St. Paul, many 
places and churches dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, as 
Loretto, Einsiedeln, Altotting in Bavaria, and innumerable 
tombs of saints throughout the Catholic world, have been, and 
yet are, bright with the splendor of the miracles wrought thereat. 

2. What God, by miracles, has declared pleasing to him, 
the Church, with reason, has thenceforth sanctioned and pro- 
moted — most pious, learned, and holy bishops and priests, be- 
lieving princes and their subjects, with penitential and holy 
purpose, have practiced; and thereby thousands and thousands 
have found rest and peace for their souls. These are facts 
which cannot be denied. How much, then, 3, must not the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 633 

thought that God, up to this time, has dispensed great graces 
at such a place, animate the soul, inspire confidence, and excite 
to fervent prayer ! In fact, pious pilgrims pray at such places 
of grace with a glow of love and devotion, which often breaks 
out into tears, and which they never feel at home. 4. May 
we not, with, reason, admit that God will be pleased to accept 
those prayers full of confidence, accompanied, as they are, with 
patience and privations, and grant to those who pray what 
they seek? Facts show that this is the case. 

Considering this, what Catholic — nay, what reasonable man 
could censure pilgrimages ? No one, indeed ; and the less, in- 
asmuch as in life, journeys similar to pilgrimages, for the sake 
of improvement, recreation, and other purposes, are considered 
proper. 

III. If such devotions are wrongly understood, the fault lies, 
not in the thing, but in the man. Such pilgrimages should, 
therefore, be undertaken only in the spirit of the Church. 
This is done if, 1, we do not thereby neglect higher obliga- 
tions ; 2, when we go with the intention of honoring God and 
setting forward our own salvation, — avoid, on the way, and in 
the place itself every excess, and bear with patience and resig- 
nation the difficulties of the journey ; 3, if we endeavor to gain 
the grace of God by worthily receiving the holy sacrament, 
and by offering up our prayers Avith holy zeal ; 4, if we try to 
preserve the good impressions we have received, and to lead a 
truly pious and faithful life. 

Are pilgrimages of recent origin ? 

Pilgrimages were already made under the old law, and we 
find them among all nations. Abraham made a pilgrimage of 
three days, to offer up his holocaust according to the command 
of God (Gen. xxii. 3) ; and the Jews, at certain times, made 
pilgrimages to Bethel, which place Jacob had sanctified (Gen. 
xxviii. 18, 19) ; in like manner, according to the command of 
Moses, they made a pilgrimage, three times a year, to the ark 
of the covenant, and afterwards to the temple at Jerusalem 
(E.vod. xxiii. 14). For what were these but religions pilgrim- 
ages ? In the new law we read how the parents of Jesus, 
taking him with them, went in company with many others to 



634 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Jerusalem (Luke ii. 41, 42) ; how the Apostles and pious 
women came to visit the sepulchre of Christ (Matt, xxviii. 1 ; 
Luke xxiv. 1) ; and how St. Paul, though already a Christian, 
hastened to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of pentecost (Acts 
xx. 16). We find, also, in the History of the Church, that 
pilgrimages to holy places, particularly to the holy sepulchre 
in Jerusalem, and the graves of martyrs, were frequent in the 
early days of the Church, and have continued, without cessa- 
tion, until now. 

How should a pilgrimage be made ? 

With a pure and holy intention to glorify God in his saints, 
and in the spirit of true devotion and penance. One should 
not, therefore, visit holy places for pleasure or recreation ; 
should shun, on the way and at the place, idle talk and sensual 
excess ; bear cheerfully, in the spirit of mortification, whatever 
hardships and inconveniences he encounters ; practice absti- 
nence in eating and drinking ; pray repeatedly, and with recol- 
lection ; confess his sins with sincerity and penitence, receive 
Holy Communion, fervently thank God for all the graces he 
bestows upon us, make holy resolutions, and take care to pre- 
serve and manifest the good impressions which he has received 
by. greater zeal in a pious life. Whoever makes a pilgrimage 
in this manner will derive from it great benefit. 



iFeast of St. &nbreuj t\)c Apostle. 

N OVEMBEE 30. 

His JAfe. 

Andrew, a brother of St. Peter, born at Bethsaida, was first 
a disciple of John the Baptist. As he was one day pointing 
out Jesus, with the words " Behold the Lamb of God !" An- 
drew at once betook himself to Christ, and also brought to 
him his own brother Peter. Afterwards both the brothers 
were called by Christ, on the sea of Galilee, before all the 
other Apostles, with the words: Follow me, henceforth I will 
make you fishers of men (Luke v. ix.) Immediately they left 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 635 

all, and became faithful disciples of Jesus, and witnesses of his 
deeds and sufferings, of his resurrection and ascension. After 
the descent of the Holy Ghost, Andrew travelled through 
Scythia, Epirus, and Thrace, and by his teachings and mira- 
cles converted vast numbers to Christ. As he was preaching 
at Patras, a city of Achaia, he was violently pressed by the pro- 
consul, ^Egeas, to offer sacrifice to the idols; but he nobly 
answered him, " I daily offer sacrifice to God ; not the flesh of 
oxen, nor the blood of rams, but an unspotted Lamb ; and al- 
though all the faithful may have partaken of his flesh, yet the 
Lamb remains as before he was offered, alive and undivided." 
iEgeas, enraged, committed him to prison, and on the follow- 
ing day caused him to be scourged ; and as he persevered in 
his declaration, condemned him to be put to death by cruci- 
fixion. When he saw the cross, the" instrument of his death, 
he greeted it with joy, embraced it, and said, "0 good cross, 
that was adorned with the limbs of Christ ; thee have I long 
desired ; thee have I fervently loved ; thee have I continually 
sought. Now thou art made ready for me, according to the 
wish of my heart. Take me away from men, and restore me 
again to my Master, that through thee I may come to him, 
who through thee has redeemed me." After this he was 
nailed to the cross. Two days he remained hanging thereon, 
but to him it was, in the mean time, a pulpit, from which he 
preached faith in Jesus, until his soul was taken up to Him 
whom he had so ardently desired to resemble in the manner of 
his death. His holy body lies in St. Peter's Church, at Rome. 

Practice. 
Wouldst thou have part in the glory of St. Andrew ? Fol- 
low him, then, in the love of the cross. At the Introit of the 
Mass, the Church announces to »us how greatly the Apostles 
were exalted by God, in making them teachers and fathers of 
the whole world. She cries out, therefore, To me thy friends, 
God, are made exceedingly honorable ; their priiicipallt y 
is exceedingly strengthened (Ps. cxxxviii.) Lord, thou hast 
proved me and known me ; thou hast known my sitting down 
and my rising up. Glory be to the Father. 



636 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Prayer. 

We suppliantly beseech thy majesty, O Lord, that as blessed 
Andrew the Apostle was both a preacher and ruler of thy 
Church, so he may be with thee as a perpetual intercessor for 
us. Through Christ. Amen. 

Epistle. (Rom. x. 10-18.) 

Brethren : "With the heart, we believe unto justice ; but with the 
mouth, confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith : 
" Whosoever believeth in him, shall not be confounded. 1 ' For there 
is no distinction of the Jew and the Greek : for the same is Lord over 
all, rich unto all that call upon him. "For whosoever shall call upon 
the name of the Lord, shall be saved." How then shall they call on 
him, in whom they have not believed? Or how shall they believe 
him, of whom they have not heard ? And how shall they hear, with- 
out a preacher ? And how shall they preach unless they be sent, as 
it is written : " How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the 
Gospel of peace, of them that bring glad tidings of good things! 1 ' 
But all do not obey the Gospel. For Isaias saith: "Lord, who hath 
believed our report?" Faith then cometh by hearing: and hearing 
by the word of Christ. But I say: Have they not heard? Yea, 
verily, " their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their 
words unto the ends of the whole world." 

Explanation. 

Two things are therefore necessary to salvation : to believe 
with the heart, and to confess with the lips and life. And 
both are practicable : to believe, for the word of God is con- 
stantly and openly proclaimed by preachers whom the Church 
sends forth ; to confess openly, for the power of grace is greater 
than that of all inward and outward enemies. Hence the un- 
believer of our clays, and the Christian who dishonors his ex- 
alted name by a heathenish life, can as little as the Jews give 
the excuse of ignorance, feebleness, or the force of circum- 
stances ; for grace would be more powerful in him than all 
hindrances, if he would but use it. Neither, therefore, the 
unbeliever nor the Christian-like heathen, shall inherit the king- 
dom of God. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 637 

Gospel. (Matt. iv. 18-22.) 

At that time: Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two breth- 
ren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a 
net into the sea (for they were fishers). And he saith to them : Come 
ye after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men. And they im- 
mediately leaving their nets, followed him. And going on from 
thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and 
John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their 
nets : and he called them. And they forthwith left their nets and 
father, and followed him. 

Brief Lessons. 

I. Jesus chose poor and simple fishermen as Apostles, in 
order that the world might know, as St. Ambrose says, that 
the bringing in of Christianity was the work of God, and that 
no one might object that Christ had deceived the world by 
craft, or drawn it over to his side by gold and riches, or, finally, 
had compelled it to believe by his power, which undoubtedly 
would have been said had he chosen for his Apostles such as 
were distinguished either for wisdom, riches, or might. 

II. To them he gave power to convert souls, and to gather 
them together in God, even as they had taken fishes in the net. 
All may be fishers of men who incite those with whom they 
live to good works, to frequent use of the holy sacraments, to 
the hearing of the word of God ; who keep them away from 
bad company, and correct their faults with brotherly kindness. 
St. Augustine says that the father of a family in this way exer- 
cises the office of a bishop. 

III. That Andrew so promptly followed the call of Jesus, 
teaches us, 1. That we should, on the spot, give ear to God 
when he inspires us with a good thought, or calls us to a bet- 
ter course of life ; for the Holy Scripture says, To-day if you 
shall hear Ids voice, harden not your hearts (Ps. xciv. 8). 
2. That, in order to follow his voice, we should cast behind us 
all desires for temporal goods, and even leave our parents, if 
they should prove a hindrance to us, For he that loveth father 
or mother more than me, is not worthy of me (Matt. x. 37 ; 
Luke xiv. 26). 



638 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Aspiration. 
Mayest thou be forever praised, most amiable Jesus, that 
thou didst choose, not the wise, the mighty, or the rich, but 
what in the eyes of the world was foolishness, to confound the 
wisdom and power of the world, and didst accordingly gra- 
ciously look upon poor fishermen, and exalt them to the height 
of the Apostolic dignity. Look also with fatherly regards 
upon us, thy frail children ; call, nay draw us in such manner 
to thee, that, after the example of St. Andrew, we may suffer 
nothing in the world to detain us from following thee, and 
may always glory in thy cross, which is our salvation, our life, 
and our resurrection. 



iFeast of St. iFranris Xatriar. 

DECEMBER 3. 
History of his Life. 

Francis Xavier, surnamed the Apostle of the Indies, was 
born of noble parents, in the year 1506, on April 7, at Xavier, 
a castle near Pampeluna, in Spain. In his eighteenth year he 
became one of the first members of the Society of Jesus, at 
Paris, and from that moment gave himself up so earnestly and 
perseveringly to meditation, self-denial, and the practice of 
Christian virtues, that by no desire was he so much animated, 
as by that of laboring and suffering for the glory of God and the 
salvation of men, wherever and however it might please God. 

In the year 1541 he was sent as missionary to India. Of 
his labors and sufferings there, his works bear witness. He 
preached the Gospel of Jesus in fifty-two kingdoms, great and 
small, of India and Japan, and baptized about a hundred thou- 
sand pagans and Mahometans. Wherever he came, the idoj 
temples were thrown down, and churches built to the true 
God. While he was desirous of winning over China to Christ, 
the Lord called him to himself from the island of Sancian, 
on December 2, 1552. He died poor and destitute of all 



THK EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 639 

bodily comforts, but rejoicing in the Lord, with these words, 
" Lord, in thee have I hoped ; let me never be confounded." 

Let us learn from St. Francis Xavier to labor, according to 
our ability, for the glory of God and the salvation of our neigh- 
bor. Although we cannot become missionaries, we yet can 
pray, and we can join the Association for the Propagation of 
the Faith. 

On the Origin of the Association for the Propagation of 
the Faith. 

" The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the 
Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest." — Matt. 
ix. 37, 38. 

Christ expressly says, in the gospel for to-day, whoever will 
be saved must believe. But if all nations must believe in 
Jesus, the faith must also be preached to them. For how shall 
they believe in him of whom they have not heard? Or how 
shall they hear without a preacher? (Rom. x. 14.) Christ, 
therefore, commanded his Apostles to go into all the world 
and preach the gospel to every creature. With restless zeal, 
and with heroic love, they fulfilled this command, establishing 
everywhere innumerable Christian communities. Many others, 
animated by a lively faith, followed their beautiful example, 
and propagated the Christian religion in countries where it 
was before unknown. The gospel, as Christ says (Matt. xxiv. 
14), shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to 
all nations, until the fulness of the heathen shall have entered 
into the bosom of the Catholic Church. Therefore it is, that 
even now, missionaries go every year into distant and un- 
known lands, where the people sit in darkness and the shadow 
of death (Ps. cvi. 10.), to carry to them the true faith. Let us, 
in spirit, accompany those noble-minded men, who, called by 
the Holy Ghost, and invested by the head of the Church, the 
Pope, with great power, leave parents, brothers, sisters, friends, 
in short, all that is dear to them, and cross far-distant seas to 
preach the gospel to the heathen, amid privations of every 
kind, amid afflictions, and at the continual risk of life. We 
see them, after the example of the Apostles, like lambs among 



610 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

wolves, showing themselves among wild hordes of savages, 
and in the dens of cannibals, in order to tame those barbari- 
ans, and to gain them for heaven. We see them covered with 
dust and sweat, contending with bitter poverty, defying the 
most horrible tortures, bearing up against the most injurious 
influences of climate, and traversing inhospitable regions, to 
make men Christians, and to announce to the world the doc- 
trines of salvation. And with what a blessing, with w T hat glo- 
rious success, do they not labor in the vineyard of the Lord ! 
Whole nations have been converted, have renounced the hor- 
rors of paganism, and from blind idolaters, have become zeal- 
ous Christians. 

But in our sad times Catholic missions have greatly declined. 
The convents from which had gone forth the greater part of 
these messengers of the faith, and from which they had re- 
ceived the greatest assistance, were almost everywhere secu- 
larized. The Society of Jesus, which within two hundred and 
thirty years had sent forth twelve thousand missionaries, seven 
hundred of whom had suffered martyrdom for Jesus, was sup- 
pressed : thereby many a splendid foundation was destroyed, 
and the greatest injury inflicted on Catholic missions; for no 
new missionaries could be sent ; the older ones were dead, and 
those who were yet alive remained without assistance. Chris- 
tians in lands where the faith had been planted, and moistened 
too, perhaps, with the blood of martyrs, but not yet firmly estab- 
lished, remained without spiritual help, exposed to the danger 
of relapsing into their old unbelief, into which some fall back. 

Some good Christians, taking to heart this affliction of the 
Church, founded at Lyons, France, on the 3d of May, 1822, 
the Association for the Propagation of the Faith. They prom- 
ised to pray for the salvation of the heathen, and, for the same 
purpose, to give contributions in money ; in so doing they in- 
curred no new obligations, but only undertook what they 
were already bound to ; for every Christian is bound thus to 
pray. Christ, our Lord, says, The harvest is great, but the 
laborers are few ; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, 
that he send forth laborers into his harvest. How can we 
one day excuse ourselves before Jesus, our all-knowing judge, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. OMrl 

if we do not now pray for the propagation of the faith ? 
But every Christian should also make his contribution to 
this object. This was, indeed, done by the early Christians, 
as we read in the Acts and Epistles (Rom. xv. 26 ; 2 Cor. 
ix. 1-6). Thus St. Paul writes (1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2) : JVbw, 
concerning the collections that are made for the saints, as 1 
have given order to the Churches of Galatia, so do ye also. 
On the first day of the week, let every one of you put apart 
icith himself laying up what it shall well please him, that 
when I come the collections be not then to be made. We shall 
find encouragement to follow this example, if we consider that 
unbelievers in the remotest lands are yet men, and that, as 
our neighbors, we are bound to show them charity. But how 
can we better show it, than by relieving their greatest and 
most pressing need ; by procuring for them the true faith, with- 
out which they cannot obtain true happiness, even in this world ? 
To kindle a light among so many unbelievers, we require, 
above all things, missionaries. But even when they are at 
hand, the means for their temporal support are also wanted. 
The cost of their voyage alone is great, and there are, besides, 
many other necessary expenses. The inhabitants of the coun- 
tries to which they are sent are mostly poor, and even in those 
heathen lands which are most favored, poverty and the 
number of the poor are rendered great by tyranny and op- 
pression. After, perhaps, a long time, the poor only are con- 
verted ; for the Gospel is first preached to the poor — theirs is 
the kingdom of God; while the rich have their consolation 
upon earth (Matt. v. 3 ; Luke iv. 18), and are afraid of a re- 
ligion which prohibits all injustice and sinful pleasures, and 
enjoins humility and meekness. • 

The missionaries, therefore, although they give up all the 
comforts which they have enjoyed at home from their youth, 
must still derive their necessary maintenance from Christian 
lands, because those to whom they break the bread of the 
soul cannot give them the bread of the body. Often, too, 
their converts themselves are in need of assistance from their 
fathers in the faith, particularly in countries where the religion 
of Jesus is persecuted. Missionaries, besides, must often incur 



642 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

great expenses for the divine service ; as, for example, when 
in China, a bottle of wine for the sacrifice of the mass costs 
four dollars — while not infrequently they are robbed of their 
property by unbelievers. They must also, for the propagation 
of Christianity, build churches and school-houses, establish 
seminaries for the training of native clergy, and found con- 
vents, as one of the best means of strengthening religion. It 
is true there is much to be done at home, but we shall have 
the more sympathy for wants at home when we are moved 
by those of distant lands; we shall endeavor to earn the more, 
in order to be able to give the more aid ; we shall deny our- 
selves the more, to increase our means of doing good. 

To be a member of the Association for the Propagation of 
the Faith, it is only necessary to. say a short prayer — the Our 
Father — once a day, and to contribute a cent a week ; so that 
poor persons, servants, and children can be members of it, as 
is in a great degree the case, particularly in France. But the 
harvest of merits which we may gain by this membership is 
great. A pious ecclesiastic writes: Thereby we join, as it 
were, the apostolate of those worthy men who give themselves 
up to every kind of hardship and trouble, in order to increase 
the family of the children of God, and we divide with them 
the merits which they gain at every step of their career. For 
the members of this society the converted Christians pray 
without intermission ; here it is the Chinese converts who give 
thanks that, by the missionaries who have been sent through 
our contributions, heaven has been opened to them ; here it is 
the Fathers of the Holy Sepulchre, who, with tears, thank us 
that we have helped to preserve that sepulchre from ruin. On 
the one hand, heroic confessors of the Christian faith promise 
us for our assistance a share in their merits ; on the other, a 
martyr assures us, just before his death, that he will remember 
the members of the society before God. Finally, the Holy 
Father has approved of this society, and has granted to its 
members many indulgences, which may also, through interces- 
sion, be applied to the souls in purgatory. These indulgences 
are : 

I. A partial indulgence of one hundred days, to be gained 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. CA?> 

by those members who {a) say once every day, Our Father 
and Hail Mary, adding, " St. Francis Xavier, pray for us." 
This may be done immediately after morning prayers. 

(b) Who give one cent every week. 

(c) As often as they perform any other good work of religion 
or charity. 

II. A plenary indulgence ; to be gained, 

(a) On any day of the month on which one shall receive the 
holy sacraments of Penance and Eucharist, and perform the 
usual conditions of an indulgence. 

(b) Every year, on the same conditions : 

1. On the third day of May, the Feast of the Invention of 
the Holy Cross, the anniversary of the founding of the society. 

2. On the third of December, the Feast of St. Francis 
Xavier, the protector of the society, or during the octave of 
his feast. 

By a brief of Pope Leo XII., May 11th, 1824, sick and 
feeble members of the society are excused from the condition 
of visiting churches, if, in the judgment of their confessors, 
they shall have conscientiously fulfilled the above conditions. 

The above indulgences were granted to members of the 
society in France, by Pope Pius VII., under date of May 15th, 
1823. They were afterwards extended by Popes Pius VII. 
and Gregory XVI., in briefs dated, respectively, Sept. 18th, 
1829, and Sept. 25th, 1831, to members of the society in every 
diocese where it was established, with permission of the ordi- 
nary, not only in France, but in other countries. Surely no 
good Christian, who knows what a grace it is to possess the 
true faith, would willingly be excluded from this society. 
Come, then, in troops, and be enrolled in this association. Be 
assured that the weekly cent will be returned to you with in- 
terest ; for God's blessing is above all things. Above all, you 
may hereby secure your salvation, for he who causeth a sinner 
to be converted from the error of his ways, shall save his soul 
from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins (James v. 20). 

Christians! hasten to take part in this great work. 

It is an Apostolic tvork ; for such weekly contributions 
were instituted by St. Paul (1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2). 



644 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

It is a Divine work / for thereby God's kingdom is en- 
larged, and his glory promoted. 

It is a work of love for your neighbor ; for what better 
or greater good could we procure for Pagans, Mahometans, 
and others in the darkness of unbelief and error, than the 
light of true faith? 

It is a work for our own salvation ; because we help to 
save onr own souls by furthering the salvation of others, and 
also because the prayers, labors, and sufferings of the mission- 
aries, and of their converts, go up to heaven for us to procure 
us the grace of God. Let us, therefore, gladly join this society, 
willingly offer the prescribed prayers, cheerfully contribute the 
cent saved, that more and more souls may be won to Christ; 
and that soon, very soon, that prediction may be fulfilled 
which says, that throughout the world there shall be one fold 
and one shepherd 



iFeast of St. Nicholas, Bishop. 

DECEMBER 6. 

Sis Life. 

This great saint, renowned throughout the world by the 
splendor of his virtues and the multitude of his miracles, was 
born at Patara, in Lycia, in the year 280. Himself the fruit 
of the prayers of his parents, he made prayer and the pursuit 
of virtue almost the entire business of his life. While yet in 
the cradle, he abstained on Wednesdays and Fridays from his 
mother's milk until evening, and retained, during his whole 
life, the practice of fasting on these days. He spent his" whole 
life in such innocence, that he was to every one a model of 
sanctity. The early death of his parents made him the in- 
heritor of great riches, which he divided among the poor, par- 
ticularly among such as were ashamed to beg. Tims, to a 
certain poor nobleman lie gave at three different times, secretly, 
as much money as enabled him to dispose in marriage his three 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. CA5 

daughters, who were in danger of losing their innocence. So 
great a light of virtue was worthy to be set on a candlestick. 
And this took place in a miraculous manner. By divine reve- 
lation, that person was to be appointed to the vacant bishopric 
of Myra who should, of a morning, be first in the church. 
And this was Nicholas. It was only out of obedience to the 
declared will of God, that he accepted this dignity, in order 
that he might become more humble, more beneficent, and 
more perfect in all virtues. On account of the great number 
of miracles wrought by him, he was called the Man of Mira- 
cles. Virtue, however, is proved in trial. Accordingly God 
suffered him, on account of the faith, to endure persecution, 
exile, misery, chains, and confinement, until the Church ob- 
tained peace. After that he attacked with zeal idolatry and 
the new heresy of Arius, on account of which he went to the 
Council of Nice. Finally, after he had finished his combat, he 
died in the year 352, with his eyes raised to heaven, uttering 
the following words : " Lord, my soul has hoped in thee ; re- 
ceive it into thy hands." His holy body was buried in the 
church of Myra, and remained there until the year 1087, when 
it pleased the Lord to have it transferred to Bari, a city in 
Italy, where God glorifies his remains by extraordinary mira- 
cles. Pray, labor, do good, suffer, and combat like St. Nicho- 
las, and to thee also shall be given the crown of eternal justice. 
Introit of the Mass. The Lord made to him a covenant of 
peace, and made him a prince, that the dignity of priesthood 
should be to him forever (Ecclus. xiv.) Lord, remember 
David and all his meekness. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O Lord, who didst adorn the blessed bishop Nicholas with 
innumerable miracles, grant, we beseech thee, that by his 
merits and prayers we may be delivered from the flames of 
hell. Through our Lord. 

Ephtle. (11 eb. xiii. 7-17.) 
Brethren: Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of 
God to you: whose faith follow, considering the end of their eonver- 



64:6 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

sation. Jesus Christ yesterday, and to-day : and the same forever. 
Be not led away with various and strange doctrines. For it is best 
that the heart be established with grace, not with meats : which have 
not profited those that walk in them. We have an altar, whereof 
they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle. For the bodies 
of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the Holies by the high- 
priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, 
that he might sanctify the people by his own blood, suffered without 
the gate. Let us go forth therefore to him without the camp ; bear- 
ing his reproach. For we have not here a lasting city, but we seek 
one that is to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of 
praise always to God, that is, the fruit of lips confessing to his name. 
And do not forget to do good and to impart; for by such sacrifices 
God's favor is obtained. Obey your prelates, and be subject to them. 
For they watch as being to render an account of your souls. 

Explanation. 

Hereby the Apostle admonishes the Jews, by steadfast faith, 
and other virtues, to imitate their fathers in the faith, and not 
to be led away by the new doctrines of wicked men, but to 
strive for the possession of grace as that through which alone 
the. heart can be justified and sanctified. But this grace 
comes from Jesus Christ, who has offered himself up as a sac- 
rifice for the sins of the world. They should, therefore, hold 
fast to him, because he is always the same, and although to 
confess him might bring on them disgrace and persecution, 
this they should suffer willingly; should gladly do good, and 
be obedient to the superiors and pastors appointed by Jesus 
Christ and his disciples. 

Let us well consider this lesson. Christ is the same, yester- 
day, to-day, and forever, and therefore his doctrines and insti- 
tutions are always the same. Let us take heed, therefore, of 
innovators and false teachers. But this, too, w r e must consider, 
that to be disciples of Jesus, we must suffer with him, offer up 
ourselves with him to God, and show that we belong to him, 
by our works of mercy and obedience to our spiritual supe- 
riors. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 047 

Gospel. (Matt. xxv. 14-23.) 

At that time Jesus spoke to his disciples this parable: A man going 
into a far country, called his servants, and delivered to them his goods. 
And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another 
one, to every one according to his proper ability ; and immediately he 
took his journey. And he that had received the five talents, went his 
way, and traded with the same, and gained other five. And in like 
manner he that had received the two, gained other two. But he that 
had received the one, going his way digged into the earth, and hid his 
lord's money. But after a long time the lord of those servants came, 
and reckoned with them. And he that had received the five talents 
coming, brought other five talents, saying: Lord, thou didst deliver 
to me five talents, behold I have gained other five over and above. 
His lord said to him : Well done, good and faithful servant, be- 
cause thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over 
many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. And he also that 
had received the two talents came and said: Lord, thou deliveredst 
two talents to me: behold I have gained other two. His lord said to 
him : Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been 
faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter 
thou into the joy of thy lord. 

How is this parable to be understood? 

The man going into a far country is Christ, our Redeemer, 
who, at his ascension into heaven, left to his disciples manifold 
gifts, for the use of which he will, at the hour of death, and at 
the end of the world, demand account. 

By talents are to be understood the gifts of God. These 
are of three kinds, namely: 

1 . The gifts of ?iature / as for example, an acute understand- 
ing, a happy memory, intelligence, as well as health, beauty, 
strength, respect, riches. 

2. The gifts of grace ; that is, inward inspiration and en- 
lightenment, faith, hope, charity, and other virtues. 

3. The gift of miracles ; the apostolate and pastorship, the 
gift of discerning spirits, of prophecy, of healing, of tongues, 
tfco., <fec. 

These gifts God distributes variously, by virtue of his un- 
limited power, as supreme Lord over all creatures. To one 



CAS INSTRUCTIONS ON 

he gives much, to another little. But however much each one 
receives, with that he is bound to labor faithfully for the glory 
of God ; and for what he has received he will have to render 
a strict account. Of him who has received much, much will 
be required ; of him who has received little, there will be re- 
quired little; of all, there will be required fidelity. 

By the two servants, of whom the one with five talents 
gained five, and the other with two, gained two, are to be un- 
derstood those who use faithfully the gifts they have received; 
that the master of the house gave to both equal praise, shows 
plainly, that God looks not at the greatness of our works, but 
our will, our obedience, our industry, our efforts, and that 
these are what he rewards. And how abundantly does he re- 
ward ! The faithful servant of God shall not only partake of 
his joys, but enter into them. lie shall be placed over many 
tilings ; that is, he shall receive an inexpressible reward, be- 
cause he has been found faithful over that which was but little, 
in comparison with the reward. 

The slothful servant represents those worldly men, the slaves 
of earthly good, who make no use of the grace of God, neglect 
their duties, and who, although not openly wicked and seducers 
of others, yet spend their days in indifference, content that 
they are not murderers, adulterers, robbers ; not considering 
that to omit good works is itself a sin. But there is coining a 
day of reckoning, when the useless tree shall be cut down, and 
the unprofitable servant bound and cast into the exterior dark- 
ness, while what he had shall be given to another. 

Aspiration. 

O Lord, I most humbly thank thee for all the gifts which 
thou hast intrusted to me. "Will it not be with me as with the 
slothful servant ? For how often have I buried my talent, in- 
stead of using it to thy glory, to my salvation, and that of my 
neighbor? What hitherto I have lost by neglect, I will hence- . 
forth endeavor to make good. For the time to come, I will 
be to thee a diligent and faithful servant. To this end, giant 
ur', () Lord, thy grace, show mercy to me, and suffer me, at 
the day of judgment, to hear those joyful words: Well done, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 649 

thou good and faithful servant ! because thou hast been faith- 
ful over a few things, I will place thee over many things : enter 
thou into the joy of thy Lord. Amen. 



£zas\ of tl)e Immaculate Conception of tfye Blesseb 
l)irgin iHarg. 

DECEMBER 8. 

On this and the following eight days, the Catholic Church 
celebrates, with particular solemnity, the happy conception of 
the Ever Blessed Virgin Mary, who, from all eternity, was 
chosen to be the daughter of the Heavenly Father, the spouse 
of the Holy Ghost, the Mother of the Divine Redeemer, and, 
by consequence, the queen of angels and of men. The con- 
sideration of these prerogatives brought the most enlightened 
lathers and teachers of the Catholic Church to the pious belief 
that she was conceived immaculate, that is, without original 
sin. Thus they brought forward the words of the Canticles 
(iv. 7), in which the spouse, by whom is represented Mary, is 
called pure as the sun, and unstained. Origen concludes her 
immaculate conception from the words u full of grace," which 
are never applied to any one but her. St. Ambrose teaches 
that Mary remained free from every stain of sin. How, indeed, 
should the Bride of the Holy Ghost, the Mother of the Most 
Holy, the Queen of Angels, those pure spirits, have been 
stained by any sin? Every heart that loves Mary the Mother 
of Jesus, most joyfully pays homage to this belief: for it can- 
not be admitted that Mary, the chosen daughter of the 
Heavenly Father, was ever a child of wrath ; that the Bride of 
the Holy Ghost, of whom he says, 27iou art all fair, my 
love, and there is not a spot in thee (Cantic. iv. 7), was ever 
contaminated with original sin; that the Mother of the Divine 
Son ever could have been a slave of the devil. It is very re- 
markable, that among the shining hosts of saints who have, in 
every century, adorned the Church, no one wrote against this 
belief, while we find it continued by the decisions of the holy 
28 



650 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

fathers from the earliest times. St. Ambrose prays to God in 
the following words : " Receive me, O God, not from the hands 
of Sara, but from the hands of Mary, the Immaculate Virgin — 
the Virgin who, through grace, remained free from every spot 
of sin" (Serm. xxii. in Ps. cxviii.) Origen says of the Divine 
Mother, "She was not infected with the poisonous sting of the 
serpent (Horn, i.) St. Augustine concludes, from the words 
of the angel, " Hail ! full of grace," that she was altogether 
excepted from the wrath of the first judgment. "This cloud" 
(Mary), says St. Jerome, " was never in darkness, but in light." 
In Ps. lxxvii., St. Amphilochius says : " He who created the 
first Eve free from stain, created the second also (that is, 
Mary) free from stain and sin." Sophronius calls the Blessed 
Virgin immaculate because she remained unstained ; and St. 
Ildephonsus says : " It is certain that Mary remained free from 
original sin." The like has been asserted by great numbers of 
holy men and doctors of theology. The Franciscans have ever 
maintained this belief. St. Francis, St. Bonaventure, and Duns 
Scotus were prominent defenders of the immaculate concep- 
tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Pius IX., forced, as 
it were, by the faith and devotion of the faithful throughout 
the world, finally, on the 8th December, 1854, sanctioned, as 
a dosmia of faith falling within the infallible rule of Catholic 
traditions, this admirable prerogative of the Blessed Virgin. 
It is, therefore, now no longer, as formerly, a pious belief, but 
an article of the faith, that Mary, like the purest morning light 
which precedes the rising of the most brilliant sun, was, from 
the first instant of her conception, free from original sin. Re- 
joice therefore, O Christian, that thou hast found a mother 
free from every stain of sin ; praise her to-day and forever ; 
venerate her immaculate conception with the greatest fervor, 
and often, particularly in solitude, in temptations, and troubles, 
use the words, " O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us 
sinners who have recourse to thee." Let us, then, venerate 
Mary, the Immaculate Virgin, but let us also strive to imitate 
her. But how shall we do this? Let us attend to the follow- 
ing considerations : 

). We, it is true, are not immaculate, but conceived and 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 651 

born in sin ; yet, in the holy waters of baptism, we have been 
born anew, and washed clean from the defilement of sin. 
Herein we have been made, as it were, equal with her ; let us 
therefore take heed to preserve the innocence that we are thus 
invested with. 

2. Mary, conceived without sin, remained also free from the 
consequences of sin, from the sinful inclinations born in every 
man. Nevertheless, what care to preserve innocence ! She 
watches over her senses, shuns every danger, loves only con- 
versation with God. Can you do any less, if you would pre- 
serve the innocence received through baptism? Surely not. 
Keep yourself free from all dangers, live for God and duty ; 
pray and watch incessantly, that you may not lose the treasure 
which you hold in a frail vessel. 

3. But the purest must also suffer. Sufferings are the way 
to our country. Ought not we, stained with sin, to be willing 
to suffer? 

At the Introit of the Mass, the Church sings from Sedulius, 
" Hail, holy parent, who as a happy mother brought forth the 
King who rules heaven and earth from eternity to eternity." 
My heart hath uttered a good word, I speak my works to the 
king (Ps. lxiv.) Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

We beseech thee, O Lord, to bestow on thy servants the gift 
of heavenly grace, that for those to whom the Blessed Virgin's 
maternity was the beginning of salvation, the votive solemnity 
of her immaculate conception may procure increase of peace. 
Through Christ. Amen. 

Bputle. (Prov. viii. 22-35.) 

The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he 
made any thing from the beginning. I was set up from eternity, and 
of old before the earth was made. The depths were not as yet, and 
I was already conceived, neither had the fountains of waters as yet 
sprung out: the mountains with their huge bulk had not as yet been 
established: before the hills I was brought forth: he had not yet 
made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world. When 



652 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

he prepared the heavens, I was present; when with a certain law and 
compass he inclosed the depths; when he established the sky above, 
and poised the fountains of waters; when he compassed the sea with 
its bounds, and set a law to the waters that they should not pass their 
limits; when he balanced the foundations of the earth, I was with 
him forming all things ; and was delighted every day, playing before 
him at all times ; playing in the world, and my delights were to be 
with the children of men. Now, therefore, ye children, hear me : 
Blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, 
and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that 
watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors. 
He that shall find me shall find life, and shall have salvation from 
the Lord. 

Explanation. 

This lesson is, in the literal sense, a eulogy on the divine 
and uncreated wisdom, which before all things was in God ; 
through which all things were made, disposed, and preserved ; 
which rejoices in its works, and calls upon all its creatures, 
especially on men, to render to it love and obedience. Most 
of what is here said is also to be applied to Mary, of whom it 
may with truth be said, that, as the holiest and most admirable 
of all creatures, she occupies the first place in the heart of God. 
Therefore the Church also refers to her those words of the 
wise man : U I came out of the mouth of the Most High, the 
first born of all creatures" (Prov. xxiv. 5). For she is, as 
Kichardus says, the most worthy of all ; no one has received 
so full a measure of purity and of all supernatural gifts; in no 
creature are the wonders of divine goodness so visible as in 
her. Admire, pious soul, this masterpiece of God's omnipo- 
tence, and rejoice at it. But rest not satisfied with this : listen 
to what Mary says to you. "Hear me, ye children; blessed are 
they that keep my ways ;" that is, who follow in my steps, 
who walk as humbly, meekly, and purely before God as I. St. 
Alphonsus says : " Mary cries to us, blessed is he who hears my 
counsel; who is not weary of remaining daily at the door of 
my mercy, to invoke my intercession and my help." He that 
shall find me shall find life, and shall have salvation from the 
Lord. All ye who desire the kingdom of God, hear what is 
promised to you: " Honor Mary, and you find life and salva- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 653 

tion." Use, therefore, often the words of St. Chrysostora, 
" Hail, Mother of our God, and our Mother ! Hail, O heaven, 
in which God himself dwelleth ! O Throne of Grace, from 
which God dispenses all his graces ! Pray to Jesus for us, that 
on the day of judgment we may obtain pardon and eternal 
happiness." 

Gospel. (Matt, i. 1-16.) 

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the 
son of Abraham : Abraham begot Isaac. And Isaac begot Jacob. 
And Jacob begot Judas and his brethren. And Judas begot Phares 
and Zara of Thamar. And Phares begot Esron. And Esron begot 
Aram. And Aram begot Aminadab. And Aminadab begot Naasson. 
And Naasson begot Salmon. And Salmon begot Booz of Bahab. 
And Booz begot Obed of Euth. And Obed begot Jessie. And Jessie 
begot David the king. And David the king begot Solomon, of her 
that had been the wife of Urias. And Solomon begot Roboam. And 
Roboam begot Abia. And Abia begot Asa. And Asa begot Josaphat. 
And Josaphat begot Joram. And Joram begot Ozias. And Ozias be- 
got Joatharn. And Joatham begot Achaz. And Achaz begot £ze- 
chias. And Ezechias begot Manasses. And Manasses begot Anion. 
And Anion begot Josias. And Josias begot Jechonias and his brethren 
in the transmigration of Babylon. And after the transmigration of 
Babylon, Jechonias begot Salathiel. And Salathiel begot Zorob;ib<jl. 
And Zorobabel begot Abiud. And Abiud begot Eliacim. And Eli- 
acim begot Azor. And Azor begot Sadoc. And Sadoc begot Achim. 
And Achim begot Eliud. And Eliud begot Eleazar. And Eleazar 
begot Mathan. And Mathan begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph 
the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 

What do we learn from this gospel ? 

We are taught, 1. That all the types and predictions of the 
Old Law are fulfilled in Christ, inasmuch as he was the true 
Messias and promised Redeemer. That St. Matthew intro- 
duces the book of the generation of St. Joseph, is done in 
conformity with Jewish usage, but thereby it is shown at the 
same time that his spouse, too, was descended from David; for 
Mary was the heiress of the family, that is, one who, for want 
of brothers, was to enter upon the inheritance of her father, 
and on that account was not permitted to marry out of her 
own tribe (Numb, xxxvi. 6). St. Luke has, at the same time, 



654 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

given, in the third chapter of his gospel, the ancestry of the 
Blessed Virgin. 

We are taught, 2. That as he was pleased to derive his 
descent from a line of sinners, so it is his will to redeem and 
make happy all, without distinction of race or position. 

We are taught, 3. That it is Mary who sustains all the 
promises ; she is shown to us as the purest virgin, the Mother 
of Jesus, our God, who through her conveys to us salvation. 

Let us then worship Jesus as our God ; despise no sinner, 
for the Son of God became man for all ; honor the Immaculate 
Virgin, call upon her as the Mother of our God and Saviour 
in full confidence, particularly in all temptations against purity, 
and she will be our consolation and our help. 

Aspiration to Mary. 

O most pure and Immaculate Virgin, how beautiful and 
perfect art thou ! There is not the least stain on thee ! O 
full of grace, I praise thee for the grace of thy Immaculate 
Conception which God has granted thee ! Oh, pray for me, 
most pure and blessed Mother of God, that while, unlike thee, 
I was conceived in sin, my life may at least be pure like thine, 
and that though I have inherited original sin, I may yet strive 
to avoid every sin that depends on my own free will ; and 
enable me, through thy all-prevailing intercession, to regain, 
by penance, the innocence which, by sin, I have lost, that at 
my death thy Son may say to my soul, Thou art all fair, my 
love, and there is not a spot in thee. Amen. 

I 7 ". O Mary, conceived without sin, 

M. Pray far us to the Father, whose Son thou didst bear. 

Prayer. 

O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin 
Mary, didst prepare for thy Son a worthy dwelling-place, we 
pray thee, that as through the merits of the death of this thy 
Son thou didst preserve her from all stain of sin, so through 
her powerful intercession thou wouldst grant to us to appear 
before thee in purity, through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. 
Amen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 655 



Praise. 

May the holy and Immaculate Conception of the Most 
Blessed Virgin Mary be ever praised. 

[Pope Pius VI. has granted an indulgence of one hundred 
days to those who .say this praise to Mary with devotion and 
penance.] 

Ejaculation to Mary, to be said in time of Temptation 
against Purity. 

Through the inviolate virginity and Immaculate Conception, 
O purest Virgin Mary, purify my heart, my body, and my 
soul, in the name of the *fr Father, and of the »f< Son, and of 
the Holy »fr Ghost. Amen. 



i'cast of St. (Stomas tlje Apostle. 

DECEMBER 21. 

His Life. 

Thomas, also called Didymus, or the twin, was a fisherman 
of Galilee. After having been received among the Apostles, 
he accompanied Jesus in all his journeys, and uniformly showed 
docility, zeal, and love towards him, particularly on the occa- 
sion of his going to Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead. 
For when the Apostles were afraid to go thither, because the 
Jews desired to kill Jesus, Thomas, full of courage, said, Let 
us also go that me may die with him (John xi. 16). His faith, 
indeed, wavered for a moment in regard to the Resurrection 
of Christ ; but no sooner had Christ satisfied him thereof by 
showing his wounds, than he cried out with firm faith, " My 
Lord and my God." St. Gregory, thereupon, says, " God over- 
ruled the doubting of Thomas to our good, since that very 
doubt has profited us more than the ready belief of the other 
disciples, inasmuch as thereby Christ was induced to give so 



656 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

much clearer proofs of his resurrection, in order to confirm us 
in the belief of it. Thomas showed the firmness of his faith 
by the innumerable labors which he undertook, and by the 
sufferings that he endured for Christ. He traversed the 
most extensive and remote countries, and preached Jesus to 
the Armenians, Medes, Persians, Parthians, Hyrcanians, Bac- 
trians, and other barbarous and wicked nations, enduring, in 
the course of his labors, with astonishing firmness, the greatest 
sufferings for the honor of God and the salvation of men. 
Finally he came to India, when, in the city of Calamina, or 
Meliapor, he underwent a glorious martyrdom, being pierced 
through with lances, by order of the idolatrous priests, as he 
was praying at the foot of the cross. So much did the Apostle 
do to repair a single fault ; but we, who every day commit 
so many — what do we do to repair them ? 

A Lesson to be observed. 

Thomas had, for three years, been associating with Jesus, 
and was a very zealous disciple, and yet he fell into unbelief. 
How shall we be able to preserve our faith if w r e have an aver- 
sion to spiritual exercises, instructions, prayers, and the like ; 
if we are fond of associating with indifferent persons, and with 
such as deride our faith ; if we read bad books ? 

[Note. — See the Introit of the Mass on the Feast of St. 
Andrew.] 

Prayer. 

Grant us, we beseech thee, O Lord, to glory in the solemnity 
of thy blessed Apostle Thomas, that we may be ever assisted 
by his patronage, and follow his faith with suitable devotion. 
Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Ephes. ii. 19-22.) 

Brethren : Now you are no more strangers and foreigners ; hut you 
are fellow-citizens with the saints, and the domestics of God. Built 
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself 
being the chief corner-stone: in whom all the building, being framed 
together, groweth up into a holy temple in the Lord. In whom you 
also are built together into a habitation of God in the Spirit. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 657 

Explanation. 

With the above words the Apostle assures the Epbesians 
that they have become truly members of the family of God, 
and that henceforth Jews and Gentiles, being united by the 
bond of one hope, one faith, one charity, make one building, 
one church, which daily increases, as in numbers, so also in 
virtue and piety. We too, through holy baptism, from stran- 
gers, have been made members of God's household, and built 
into the same Church. Oh, that we may strive, by faith and 
charity, to be living stones in this house of God ! Otherwise 
what will our baptism have profited us? 

[Note. — The gospel and an explanation of it, are to be 
found on the First Sunday after Easter.] 

On Faith and Superstition. 

What is it to believe ? 

It is, through the illumination of divine light, to receive as 
true all that God has revealed, and, through his Church, pro- 
posed to be believed. This faith is, says St. Paul, the life of 
the just man (Rom. i. IV) ; that is, as the soul is the life of the 
body, so faith is the life and strength of the soul. It pene- 
trates all the faculties of the soul, enlightens the understand- 
ing, clears it of uncertainty and doubt; purifies the heart from 
sin and fear, infuses into it confidence and the love of God, and 
gives to the will a strength which subdues all things. And as 
it thus works upon the Christian within, so it manifests itself 
outwardly by deeds. The Christian who is thus actuated by 
faith lives according to faith; he prays diligently, uses earn- 
estly the means of salvation, shuns every sin and occasion of 
sin ; fulfils faithfully the duties of his calling; employs himself 
continually in works of mercy ; is never, in any place, ashamed 
of his faith ; and all this he does because he is animated by the 
living faith that God is a severe punisher of evil, and a liberal 
rewarder of every good work done out of love to him ; that 
heaven suffers violence, and that only the violent bear it away 
(Matt. xi. 12). Such is the working of Christian faith where- 
ever it is a living faith. 
28« 



558 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

What is superstition ? 

It is to attribute to certain things a power which, according 
to the design of God and of the Holy Church, they cannot 
have. Thus, some fancy that by the repetition of this or that 
prayer, by visiting this or that church, by the wearing of amu- 
lets, scapulars, and the like, they can be saved, without, at the 
same time, taking pains to order their lives according to the 
commandments of God. This is superstition; for although 
the performance of these devotions and other acts is good in 
itself, yet by the persuasion that a person can be saved by 
them alone, without repentance, an efficacy is attributed to 
them which they do not possess. Wilt thou enter into life — 
Keep the commandments, saith the Lord. There are other 
persons who suppose that by saying particular prayers, in- 
vented by deceitful men, or by the pronouncing of certain 
blessings and exorcisms, they will be able to expel diseases ; to 
protect themselves from temporal harm; to gain treasures; 
to discover and drive away thieves; and who think to foretell 
future events by dreams and cards. That this is superstition 
no one can doubt. But it is very sinful, and on that account 
absolution in such cases is, in many Dioceses, reserved to the 
Bishop. Indeed, it can be no light sin to set God aside, and 
instead of him, to betake one's self to creatures of his to which 
no such recourse is permitted, and even to the devil himself. 
And if God curses those who turn away their hearts from him, 
and put their confidence in man, what must they expect who 
practice such superstition ? Beware of it, therefore. If one 
is in doubt whether a certain thing be superstitious, let him 
consult his pastor, and take his advice dutifully. 

Aspiration. 

O most benign Jesus, who didst permit the unbelieving 
Thomas to touch the prints of thy holy wounds, and didst 
thereby deliver him from his unbelief, oh, heal the wounds of 
my heart ; give me a living, firm, and enduring faith in thee, 
such as may ever incite me to do what shall be pleasing to 
thee, and to shun whatever may displease thee. I beseech it 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 659 

of thee by thy mercy to Thomas in showing the prints of thy 
wounds to him. 



4T*ast of St. Steven. 

DECEMBER 26. 

The epistle of to-day contains a short account of the life and 
sufferings of this saint. It only remains to be added, that on 
account of his virtues, his wisdom, and his zeal for the faith, 
the Apostles thought him worthy to be chosen the first of the 
seven Deacons, whose office it was, in addition to the preach- 
ing of the word of God, to serve the poor, and properly to dis- 
tribute the alms of the faithful. In this office he united with 
a self-sacrificing love for his neighbor, an extraordinary zeal for 
Christ, by which he drew upon himself the hatred of the Jews 
to that degree that they stoned him to death. Thus he was 
the first who witnessed with his blood for Christ. To this 
event it is that those words of the Introit refer: Princes sat 
and spoke against me, and the wicked persecuted me / help 
me, Lord, my God, for thy servant was employed in thy 
justifications. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who icalk 
in the laic of the Lord (Ps. cxviii.) Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Grant us, we beseech thee, O Lord, to imitate what we 
honor, that we also may learn to love our neighbors, as we 
celebrate the feast of him who knew how to beseech even for 
his persecutors, our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who, &c. 
Amen. 

Epistle. (Acts vi. 8-10; vii. 54-59.) 

In those days: Stephen full of grace and fortitude did great won- 
ders and sigiis among the people. Now there arose some of that which 
is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of 
the Alexandrians, and of them that were of Cilicia and Asia, disputing 
with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the 
spirit that spoke. Now hearing these things they were cut to the 
heart, and they gnashed with their teeth at him. But he being full of 



660 



INSTRUCTIONS ON 



the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory ot 
God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said : Be- 
hold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the 
right hand of God. And they crying out with a loud voice, stopped 
their ears, and with one accord ran violently upon him. And casting 
him forth without the city, they stoned him: and the witnesses laid 
down their garments at the feet of a young man whose name was 
Saul. And they stoned Stephen, invoking, and saying: Lord Jesus 
receive my spirit. And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud 
voice, saying : Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he 
had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord. 



Practice. 

I. The exasperated Jews suborned false witnesses, who 
should say that Stephen had blasphemed God and the law. 
Grievous as this accusation was, it did not grieve him, because 
his good conscience acquitted him. Learn hence, that as there 
is no more terrible accuser and tormentor than an evil con- 
science, so, on the other hand, there is no better defender than 
a good conscience. It is a continual feast (Pro v. xv. 15), and 
the best consolation in all adversities. It goes along with one 
in prison, in suffering, in death, and even before the judgment- 
seat of God. Be careful, therefore, always to have a good 
conscience. 

II. Stephen is unjustly persecuted ; yet he prays for his per- 
secutors. Can we excuse ourselves if we do not love our ene- 
mies? Were not Stephen, and others who have imitated him, 
men, like ourselves? With the grace of God, could not we do 
what they have done? Could Ave call ourselves Christians 
were we not to do this ? No ; for the love of our neighbor, 
and of our enemy also, is the chief token of the Christian ; 
since it is only by this love that we become like Christ, and 
resemble our Heavenly Father, who makes his sun to shine 
upon the evil and the good, and sendeth rains upon the just 
and upon the unjust (Matt. v. 45). Let us, therefore, imitate 
the love of God, of Christ, and of St. Stephen, and then we 
may one day be able to give up our souls with calmness into 
the hands of our Maker. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 6t)l 

Gospel. (Matt, xxiii. 34-39.) 

At that time Jesus said to the Scribes and Pharisees: Behold I send 
to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you 
will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your syna- 
gogues, and persecute from city to city. That upon you may come all 
the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of 
Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias th£ son of Barachias, 
whom you killed between the temple and the altar. Amen I say to 
you, all these things shall come upon this generation. Jerusalem, 
Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are 
sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy chil- 
dren, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou 
wouldstnot? Behold your house shall be left to you desolate. For 
I say to you, you shall not see rne henceforth till you say : Blessed is 
he that cometh in the name of the Lord. 

Who are here meant by the prophets? 

The Apostles, and all who preach the Gospel. These, says 
St. Jerome, are prophets, for they foretell the future ; wise 
men, for they know what they say ; scribes, for they are learned 
in the law. 

Did the Jews actually put any of these to death? 

Yes; they stoned to death Stephen, beheaded James the 
brother of John, threw another of the same name from the 
temple, scourged Peter and others, while Paul and Barnabas 
had to undergo, at their hands, one persecution after another. 
In like manner, as St. Paul says (2 Tim. iii. 12), all they who 
will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution. 

Who are they that in our days stone and kill the prophets 
and preachers ? 

All who in any manner persecute them. All, therefore, who, 
by their evil backbiting, defame their pastors, — who mock at 
and despise preachers and sermons; for to the servants of God 
this is a great torment and source of grief; it destroys their 
courage and paralyzes their efficiency. On this account it pro- 
vokes the anger of God, as through the prophets he often told 
the Jews ; and its consequences are generally such, also, as be- 
fell the Jews, namely : that the true faith is taken from such 



662 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

men, and given to those who are worthy of it. Guard against 
such practices, therefore, lest the same thing befall thee. 

What is meant by the words, TJiat upon you may come 
all the just blood? 

It is a Hebrew way of speaking, as if one should say : that 
upon the Jews should come the punishment of all the innocent 
blood shed by their fathers, whose acts, by their proceedings 
against Jesus, they sanctioned, in whose malice they partici- 
pated, and the measure of whose wickedness they filled up. 

Why does Christ compare himself to a hen ? 

A hen, by her call, draws to herself her wandering young 
ones, that no harm may happen to them; seeks to shelter 
them from the hawk, and will sooner allow herself to be torn 
in pieces than expose one of them. Infinitely more than this 
parable can describe, had the Son of God done for hundreds of 
years, by the law and the prophets, and, for three years, by 
himself. What heavenly love he showed them ; what miracles 
he wrought among them ; and they heard him not — followed 
him not. At the last he gave his life for them, that they might 
be delivered from eternal death. What he has done and is 
doing for the Jews, that he has done and is doing also for us. 
How often, and in how many ways, does he call us to do pen- 
ance! How often does he warn us against the misfortunes 
into which sins and impenitence plunge us, pointing us to his 
blood, in which is our salvation ! Would that we might give 
heed to his call ! This similitude is at the same time a lesson 
for preachers, for parents, and heads of households, inasmuch 
as it places before their eyes, in lively colors, how diligent they 
should be, by admonitions, by entreaties, by warnings, and by 
threats, to preserve those under their care from evil. 

What is the meaning of the words, Your house shall be 
left to you desolate f 

They refer to the destruction which, on account of the un- 
belief and impenitence of the Jews, should befall their city 
and temple. And how frightfully was this accomplished forty 
years after the death of Christ! Let us learn hence, 1. That 
the punishment of sin and impenitence, though long delayed, 
will yet come. 2. That he whom God forsakes, will neccs-a- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 663 

rily become the prey of enemies, who will desolate his house ; 
that is, his heart ; will break up his peace, and horribly tor- 
ment his conscience. 3. That he who neglects to bring forth 
the fruits of faith, and to return to God, will be punished 
either by the withdrawal of the light of faith, or else by seek- 
ing Jesus too late will not be able to find him, but must perish 
in his sins. 

Supplication to St. Stephen. 

O St. Stephen, first of the martyrs, who wast filled with 
fortitude, grace, and love, whose guiltless face shone like the 
face of a pure angel, I beseech thee, by the grace which ren- 
dered thee worthy to see heaven opened and Jesus sitting at 
the right hand of the Father, that thou wouldst, by thy 
prayers, procure for me from God a pure conscience, and a 
holy, meek love, that like thee I may readily forgive those 
who injure me ; may pray for them ; may not only desire for 
them whatever is good, but may do them good indeed, and 
thereby merit the grace of a happy death. Through Jesus 
Christ, our Lord. Amen. 



feast of St. 3of)tt, tlje Apostle. 

DECEMBER 27. 

Sis Life. 

John, the brother of St. James the Greater, was a son of 
Zebedee, a fisherman of Galilee, and of Salome, a cousin of 
the Blessed Virgin Mary (Matt. iv. 21). He was the youngest 
of the Apostles, and, with Peter and James, was the most 
trusted of the disciples of Jesus, by whom he was most ten- 
derly beloved, on which account he is called the Disciple of 
Love. Of this Jesus gave the most convincing evidence, when, 
at the Last Supper, he allowed that disciple to lean upon his 
breast, and when, from the cross, he committed to the care of 
John, his own mother. This distinction John repaid by his 



f)64 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

fervent, enduring love towards Jesus; for example, by being 
the only one of the disciples who did not desert him during 
his passion. After the ascension, he preached the gospel in 
Palestine ; afterwards went to Asia Minor, fixed his residence 
in Ephesus, and established many churches there. He was, 
with the other Apostles, taken prisoner and scourged by the 
Jews, and in the year 95, under the Emperor Domitian, before 
the Latin Gate, at Rome, was thrown into a vessel of boiling 
oil. Having endured this torture without injury, he was then 
banished to the island of Patmos, where, by command of the 
Lord, he wrote the Apocalypse, or Revelation, concerning the 
fortunes of the Church. On returning from his banishment, 
he again governed the churches of Asia Minor, as chief pastor, 
as he had done before, and, at the age of nearly one hundred 
years, died at Ephesus, a peaceful and natural death. The 
writings which this Apostle has left behind him, are, 1. The 
Apocalypse. 2. The Gospel, which he wrote at the repeated 
request of the bishops of Asia, when nearly at the ninetieth 
year of his age, and in which, like an eagle, he rises to the 
Godhead of Christ, defending it against the heresies of Ebion 
and Cerinthus. 3. Three epistles, which treat chiefly of the 
love of God and of our neighbor. This love he constantly in- 
culcated, and, throughout his eventful life, uniformly practiced. 
When, in his old age, he was obliged to be carried to church, 
he always preached these words: "My children, love one an- 
other :" and upon being asked why he always repeated the 
same thing, gave this beautiful answer : " This is the command- 
ment of God, and if observed, this is enough ;" that is, he who 
keeps this commandment, keeps all. Let us learn, from St. 
John, to have such love ; let us strive to live, like him, chaste 
and pure, and then true wisdom, the love and the contempla- 
tion of God will be our reward. 

The Introit of the Mass is : In the midst of the Church the. 
lord opened his mouth, and filled him with the spirit of icis- 
dom and %mder standing, and clothed him with a robe of glory 
(Eocltts. xv.) It is good to give praise to the lord, and to 
ding to thy name, Most High. Glory be to the Father. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 665 

Prayer. 

Mercifully illustrate thy Church, O Lord, that, enlightened 
by the doctrines of thy blessed Apostle and evangelist St. 
John, she may arrive at gifts everlasting. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Ecclns. xv. 1 -6.) 

He that feareth God will do good: and he that possesseth justice 
shall lay hold on her, and she will meet him as an honorable mother, 
and will receive him as a wife married from a virgin. With the bread 
of life and understanding, she shall feed him and give him the water 
of wholesome wisdom to drink: and she shall be made strong in him, 
and he shall not be moved : and she shall hold him fast, and he shall 
not be confounded: and she shall exalt him among his neighbors, and 
in the midst of the church she shall open his mouth, and shall fill him 
with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and shall clothe him 
with a robe of glory. She shall heap upon him a treasure of joy and 
gladness, and our Lord God shall cause him to inherit an everlasting 
name. 

What does this epistle teach us ? 

What glorious fruits come from justice and the fear of God. 
Justice consists in uninterrupted endeavors always to fulfil the 
law and the will of God, for God's sake, and is therefore the 
sum of all virtues, for it controls both the inner and the outer 
man, his thoughts and his acts ; it is purity of intention, 
chastity, love, and all virtues. Such justice is, as it were, the 
light of the spirit, the nourishment and strength of the heart ; 
it procures for man the friendship of God, and is the fountain 
of perpetual joy. Look at St. John : On account of his justice 
and fear of God, he was endowed with so great wisdom and 
knowledge, that St. Augustine said of him, that in spiritual 
perception he was an eagle ; for he not only soared above 
earth, but above all the ranks of the spiritual powers, until he 
came to him by whom all things were made, saving : In the 
beginning vjas the word. Wouldst thou increase in wisdom ; 
wouldst thou have tranquillity and joy? then, before all else, 
give heed to Christian justice. 



INSTRUCTIONS ON 

On Purity. 

lie that loves wisdom, saith the Holy Ghost, will obtain it / 
for it will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body 
subject to sins (Wisd. i. 4). St. John was from his childhood 
an angel of purity, on which account he was particularly be- 
loved by Jesus, and endowed by the Holy Ghost with such 
wisdom and knowledge that, as St. Augustine has remarked, 
he commences his gospel in a manner more lofty and sublime 
than the other three evangelists. For while they walk with 
the God-man upon earth, speaking comparatively little of his 
divinity, St. John, as if despising the world, soars beyond the 
vault of heaven, above the hosts of angels, and comes to him by 
whom all things are made, saying, In the beginning was the 
word. At the last supper, he was permitted to lean on the 
bosom of Jesus, but what he there drank in secretly, he im- 
parted openly. Apply thyself therefore to purity of heart, and 
thou shalt be like St. John, a beloved disciple of Jesus, and 
shalt be filled with heavenly wisdom. 

Gospel. (John xxi. 19-24.) 

At that time : Jesus said to Peter : Follow me. Peter turning 
about, saw that disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also leaned 
on his breast at supper, and said : Lord, who is he that shall betray 
thee? Him therefore when Peter had seen, he saith to Jesus: Lord, 
and what shall this man do? Jesus saith to him: So I will have him 
to remain till I come, what is it to thee? follow thou me. This say- 
ing therefore went abroad among the brethren, that that disciple 
should not die. And Jesus did not say to him: He should not die; 
but, So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee ? This 
is that disciple who giveth testimony of these things, and hath written 
these things: and we know that his testimony is true. 

How was Peter to follow Christ ? 

In the chief pastorship of the Church, in the likeness of his 
life, and particularly in the manner of his death. 

Why did Christ rebuke Peter ? 

To punish his curiosity. Hereby he teaches us not to busy 
ourselves with the doings and omissions of our neighbor, but 






THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 667 

rather to occupy ourselves with following him. Whoever, 
without being obliged to do so, concerns himself with his 
neighbor's affairs commonly neglects himself, and causes, be- 
sides, much strife, disquiet, and trouble. 

Supplication to St. John. 

O St. John, purest and most beloved disciple of Christ, who, 
at the last supper, lay upon his breast and there drew in thy 
heavenly wisdom ; to whom Jesus on the cross commended 
his mother, I beseech thee, by these thy great graces, that thou 
wouldst obtain from God for me a pure heart, a fervent devo- 
tion to the dying Saviour and his mother, a burning love for 
God and for my neighbor, and finally, a happy death. Amen. 

Why, on this day, is wine blessed and given to the faithful 
to drink ? 

This is done, 1. That all who drink this blessed wine may be 
preserved from disease and fatal epidemics, and retain health 
of body and mind, like St. John, who, according to the pre- 
diction of Christ (Mark xvi. 18), drank poison without being 
thereby harmed. 2. That through the intercession of St. John, 
who took the poisonous draught only out of love to God and 
to his neighbor (namely, for the conversion of an idolater), we 
may be filled with the same love. On this account the priest, 
at offering the wine, uses the words, " Drink the love of St. 
John, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost." 



Jeast of thje ^olg Jfnnocents. 

DECEMBER 28. 

The account of the martyrdom of these children is given in 
the gospel for to-day. The Church justly honors them as mar- 
tyrs, since they confessed Christ, if not with the mouth yet 
with their death, which they suffered by reason of Herod's 
hatred against Christ. 



668 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Introit of the Mass. Out of the mouth of infants and suck- 
lings thou hast perfected praise, because of thy enemies, 
Lord. Lord, how admirable is thy name in the whole 
earth (Ps. viii.) Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, whose praise the martyred Innocents confessed on 
this day — not by speaking, but by dying — mortify in us all 
the evils of vices, that our life also may confess by actions thy 
faith, which our tongue proclaims. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Apocalypse xiv. 1-5.) 

In those days : I beheld a Lamb standing upon Mount Sion, and 
with him an hundred forty-four thousand having his name, and the 
name of his Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice 
from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of great 
thunder : and the voice, which I heard, was as the voice of harpers, 
harping on their harps. And they sung as it were a new canticle, 
before the throne, and before the four living creatures, and the an- 
cients : and no man could say the canticle, but those hundred forty- 
four thousand, who were purchased from the earth. These are they 
who were not defiled with women : for they are virgins. These fol- 
low the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from 
among men, the first-fruits to God and to the Lamb : and in their 
mouth there was found no lie : for they are without spot before the 
throne of God. 

Explanation. 

This vision of St. John's is applied by the Church to the 
Holy Innocents, because, on account of their innocence, they 
are numbered with the virgins of whom mention is here made. 
St. John describes the prerogatives of purity, and relates how 
he had seen the Lamb of God, Christ, on Mount Sion, that is, 
in heaven, surrounded by one hundred and forty-four thousand 
of such virgins. To this number belong all those who have 
kept themselves from the idolatry of the world ; particularly 
those who have not been defiled with fleshly lusts, and who 
have preserved their innocence unstained. Such pure souls 
have this to distinguish them from all other saints : that they 
are marked with the name of the Lamb, and enjoy in his com- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. G()9 

pany a groat and peculiar happiness, which is signified by the 
new canticle which no saints but they can sing. This is the 
reward of their victories, and of their exertions in contending 
with the flesh, and in overcoming so many temptations. What 
a treasure, then, is purity ! And will you, then, young man, or 
young woman, lightly sacrifice it, out of human respect — for 
the sake of a momentary pleasure — for a mere nothing ? 

Gospel. (Matt. ii. 13-18.) 

At that time : An Angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, 
saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: 
and be there until I shall tell thee : for it will come to pass that 
Herod will seek the child to destroy him. Who arose, and took the 
child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was 
there until the death of Herod : that it might be fulfilled which the 
Lord spoke by the prophet, saying : " Out of Egypt have I called my 
son." Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, 
was exceeding angry ; and sending killed all the men-children that 
were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old 
and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of 
the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jere- 
mias the prophet, saying: "A voice in Kama was heard, lamentation 
and great mourning ; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not 
be comforted, because they are not. 

Why did Herod seek the life of Christ 

Because, being ambitious, and consequently suspicious and 
cruel, he lived in continual fear lest he should be deprived of 
his throne. For this reason he had already put many persons 
to death, and among others even his own sons and nearest 
relatives. The like ambition now incited him to attempt the 
life of the new-born King of the Jews, who was, as he sup- 
posed, about to establish a worldly kingdom. LIow ruinous is 
it to be the slave of such a passion ! Are you, perhaps, ruled 
by any such ? Root it out, then, betimes ; resist manfully the 
first motion of every evil inclination, that it may not become 
powerful, and carry you, against your wish, first into sin, and 
then into destruction. 

What persons are like Herod ? 

All those who destroy innocent children, in body or in soul ; 



670 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

for example, imprudent and careless mothers who injure the 
fruit of their womb by excessive dancing, by heavy labor, by 
vehement anger, or immoderate grief; unmanly men who are 
cruel to their wives while with child, who strike them, incite 
them to anger, or terrify them ; heedless parents, who neglect 
their little ones, who take them into bed at the risk of suffo- 
cating them, who do not take pains to keep them clean and 
healthy ; those corrupt and godless women who destroy the 
fruit of their shame either before or after birth, and while yet 
unbaptized. But more cruel than all these, and even than 
Herod himself, are they who scandalize little # children by im- 
pure conversations, by indecent songs, by acts of unchasteness 
in their presence, or by inciting them to the like ; for thereby 
they plunge the souls of the children into destruction. 

What reward did Herod receive for his cruelty ? 

He was soon attacked with a loathsome and painful disease, 
of which he died, forsaken by every one, eaten by worms, and 
given up to the extremest despair. But if the cruelty which 
Herod directed only against the bodies of the Innocents was 
thus punished, what must they look for who deprive the inno- 
cent not only of temporal, but of eternal life ? 

What is signified by these words, A voice was heard in 
Rama f &c. 

They denote that the grief of the mothers over the loss of 
their children was so great, that their lamentations might have 
been heard in Rama, a place some hours distant from Bethle- 
hem. To weep over the loss of children is natural, but is it 
not unreasonable to give way to excessive weeping and mourn- 
ing ? Would these mothers have thus wept, if they had con- 
sidered that their children by so early a death entered into an 
eternally happy life ? How then can Christian mothers be so 
inconsolable at the death of their little ones, knowing that 
God has taken them to himself; that they are delivered from a 
thousand dangers to their salvation which their parents, with 
the greatest watchfulness, could hardly be able to preserve 
them from ? 

What more do we learn from this occurrence ? 

Much more : 1. As God saves his Son, not by a miracle, but, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 671 

according to the natural course of things, by flight, so we 
should expect no supernatural and miraculous assistance, so 
long as we possess natural means of deliverance. 2. How 
great was the faith, how prompt and exact the obedience of 
St. Joseph, in undertaking at once, without dispute, the long 
and toilsome journey, with the child and his mother. How 
instructive, and how confounding is this ready obedience to us, 
who submit so reluctantly to the requirements and command- 
ments of God ? 3. As cruel as God's dealing with the inno- 
cents may have appeared to the mothers of those children, it 
was nevertheless pure kindness. For how many of them 
would, probably, in later years have plunged into sins and 
vices; like others would have rejected the Messiah, or would 
even have taken part in his crucifixion ? If God, from time 
to time, deals in like manner with others, is it not for their 
eternal welfare? Is there not many a one in regard to whom 
it were to be wished, that he had been taken out of the 
world while as yet he had not become the slave of sin ? 

4. But what wrong have these children done that God should 
visit them so severely and cause them to die? What folly 
to raise such questions. Because thou wast acceptable to God, 
said the angel to Tobias, it teas necessary that temptation 
should prove thee (Tobias xii. 13). We ought, therefore, by 
no means to argue that a man is displeasing to God, because he 
has much to suffer; but rather should say, this man must be 
acceptable to God, because he is so severely tried. For it is 
the surest proof that God loves us, when by earthly afflictions 
he rescues us from destruction, and gains us for heaven. 

5. Herod sought to kill Jesus. Vain design ! The child 
whom he seeks, he finds not. What avail all the designs of 
the wicked against God and his servants ? It is plain that he 
who fears God immovably confides in him, stands firm, like 
Mount Sion. The mountains stand fast, though storms rage. 
So with the just man, though all hell should rise up against 
him : God is his friend ; what should he fear ? God is his 
helper ; who can prevail against him ? 

[The Church uses to-day the purple color, in token of her 
horror at the cruelty of Herod ; but on the octave she uses 



672 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

the red, to indicate her joy at the glory which the Innocents 
gained by their martyrdom.] 

Supplication to the Holy Innocents. 

Ye innocent little ones, who have glorified God not by your 
words, but by your death, and who now continually follow the 
Lamb, pray for us, that we may confirm, by a Christian life, 
the faith which we profess with the mouth ; and that, purified 
by persecutions and afflictions, we also may be found worthy 
to share in that glory which you now enjoy forever. 



£ast Dan of tl)e fear. 

As time is one of the greatest favors which we receive from 
God, so to make good use of it is one of our chief duties. 
There is nothing which the damned in hell will more regret 
than the loss of time ; nothing that they will more desire than 
even a few moments for repentance. 

One year is now gone ; how have we spent it ? 

We owe to God every moment of our lives, but how little 
of the years that are past have we given to him, and to the 
salvation of our souls? How much, on the other hand, have 
we not given to the world, to vanity, to the comforts and 
pleasures of sense ? Have we used the twentieth part of our 
time to the end for which God gave it to us? How many 
occasions of doing good, of exercising charity, humility, 
patience, meekness, and other virtues, have Ave not had, and 
how have we profited by them? How many admonitions, 
inspirations, and good impulses have we not had, at sermons, 
from spiritual books, at the reception of the holy sacraments, 
and how have we neglected them ? Even though we may not 
have fallen into grievous sins and excesses, yet how great has 
been our inactivity in the service of God, our distraction in 
prayer, our inattention in receiving the sacraments, our impa- 
tience under trials ! Can we then remember the year past, 
except with bitterness of soul? 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 673 

But what ought such remembrance to bring; forth in us? 

This much; that we heartily repent of our neglect, humbly 
implore pardon of God, and firmly resolve, if he shall spare our 
lives, to make better use of the year to come. We may hope 
that he will thus spare us, but it may be that the year we are 
about to begin will be our last ; it may be that we shall not 
live through it. Let us keep this wholesome fear before our 
minds, as the best means of restraining us from sin, and of in- 
citing us to good works. We could not but be anxious always 
to live piously if we considered each day as the last of our life. 

How short is a year ! Let us reflect where and what is now 
the year past? Have not all its joys and woes disappeared 
like smoke ? So too will it be with the rest of our life ; it 
passes by like a quick running stream, like a flying arrow. 
Ought it, then, to be so hard for us to take advantage of .this 
quickly passing time, by devoting it to the service of God and 
the salvation of our souls, when thereby we gain an eternity 
of happiness? Will not pleasures and amusements pass away 
as quickly as the trials of God's service and the difficulties of 
securing our salvation ? Are pleasures which last but a little 
while fit for our hearts, that can be satisfied only by eternal 
joys? O Christian! if you will be prudent, choose the safe 
way ; let not your salvation depend upon a time that may 
never come — on the unsafe chance, "Perhaps I may live a long 
time yet !" 

You have lived to see the last day of this year, but you do 
not know that you will live to see the first of the next. Set 
your conscience, therefore, at rest, and however much time 
you may have misspent, spend now at least one day well and 
profitably, that at evening you may have this consolation, that 
you have not altogether lost the year. Adjust, to-day, your 
account with God. Examine, then, 1. What graces you have 
received from him, and how you have employed them; and 
when you find, as you will, that for innumerable benefits you 
have not only been thankless, but have actually used them to 
tlic dishonor of your Benefactor and the injury of your neigh- 
bor, then humbly pray God for pardon; thank him, lor once 
at least, with your whole heart, and promise, for the time to 
29 



I 



674: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

come, to employ his favors to his glory and the salvation of 
your soul. 2. Recollect all the sins by which, during the year, 
you have so often offended your greatest Benefactor ; repent 
of them in bitterness of heart, and prepare yourself, either to- 
day or to-morrow, to be reconciled to God through a sincere 
confession and true penance ; resolve firmly in the ensuing 
year to be on your guard against all sins, especially against 
such as you are most inclined to, and to do as much good as 
you remember to have committed evil. Offer up to God, the 
Lord, all the good which has been done in the year past, or 
which shall be done in the year to come, in thanksgiving for 
all his benefits, and in satisfaction for all your sins. By such 
means you will, in a measure, make amends for your past 
neglect. 

Prayer at the end of the Year. 

O Father of mercies, and God of all consolation, I thank 
thee, from the bottom of my heart, through Jesus Christ, thy 
only-begotten Son, that thou hast, like a father, given me this 
year in which to amend my life, and hast borne with me so 
long. I am heartily sorry that I have so misused the time and 
graces which thy abundant kindness has bestowed upon me for 
the salvation of my soul, and that I have not employed them 
for the amendment of my life. Pardon me this, my neglect, 
for I am resolved, in the year to come, if thou shalt prolong 
my life, to serve thee with all zeal and fidelity. I will delay 
no longer. I perceive the danger to w T hich I have exposed 
myself. This day, this moment shall be for me the time of an 
unchangeable and lasting conversion. Henceforth I will dedi- 
cate all the hours of my life to thy honor alone and to my sal- 
vation. What I have heretofore left undone in thy service, 
by guilty negligence, I will make good by renewed fervor in 
good works, and the less I have loved thee heretofore, the 
more I will love thee now. Bless, O Heavenly Father, my 
good resolutions, and grant me thy grace, that I may faithfully 
fulfil them. When thou givest me pleasure, let me enjoy it 
with moderation and thankfulness; when thou sendest suffer- 
ing, enable me to suffer with patience, resignation, and in the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 675 

spirit of penance, seeming thereby the benefit thou didst in* 
tend. Guard us against all dangers of soul and body ; bless 
my friends and enemies, our country, and all men. Preserve 
us in thy love ; confirm us in faith ; strengthen our hope ; let 
us always walk before thee in simplicity and purity of heart ; 
and grant that finally, blessed in the memory of our brethren, 
we may come where there is no change of time, no separation, 
no suffering ; where we shall be forever united with thee and 
thy elect, in eternal and undivided love and happiness. For 
this we beseech thee through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. 
Amen. 



iFectst of St. t) dentine, JHsfyon. 

JANUARY 7. 
His Life. 

St. Yalentine, before the middle of the fifth century, left his 
own country, washed by the Northern Sea, with the intention 
of preaching the Gospel to the people on the banks of the Inn 
and the Panube. But first he went to Rome, to receive the 
Apostolic benediction. From Rome he proceeded to Passau, 
and there commenced to announce the doctrine of Christ to 
the inhabitants. But not succeeding in gaining a hearing, he 
was thereby so much grieved that he determined to go to 
some other place to plant the banner of the cross. Accord- 
ingly, he again repaired to Rome, to obtain the necessary in- 
structions. St. Leo, who at that time governed the Church 
(a. d. 440-461), answered the Saint, "Announce the doctrine, 
and persevere, whether you find it easy or difficult." After this 
he consecrated him bishop, and dismissed him, strengthened 
with his blessing. St. Valentine soon appeared again in Passau, 
and, with fresh strength, applied himself to the preaching of 
salvation. But this time, also, his words were fruitless. The 
inhabitants — Arians and Pagans — rose up against him, and 
with shameful ill-treatment, forced him beyond the boundaries 
of their country. He thereupon went to Raethia, preaching 



676 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

everywhere the word of redemption, and reaping thousand- 
fold fruits of the injuries he had suffered. Next he went to 
the mountains of Tyrol, and there introduced the kingdom of 
Christ. Finally, he settled down at Mais, near Meran, and 
had the consolation of seeing the seed which he planted sprout 
and flourish. Occasionally he made journeys in the direction 
of Italy. Zealous and constant as he was in preaching, he was 
no less amiable and attractive in his life, and first showed by 
his deeds what he undertook to inculcate by words. To re- 
fresh the spirit and heart, which without the heavenly dew 
become dry, he was accustomed to spend a part of every night, 
and as much as he could gain from the day, in prayer and 
meditation. That he might escape from the tumult of men, 
and be the more absorbed in God, he built himself a small 
cell, which is still shown to strangers, in the Palace of New- 
berg, under the name of St. Valentine's cell. He also founded 
a congregation of priests, who lived under one rule, and aided 
him in his Apostolic labors. On the 7th of January, a. d. 470, 
he entered into the peace of the Lord. His disciples buried 
his body in the church built by him at Mais, but when that 
place was taken by the Longobardi, his remains were removed 
to Trent, and afterwards to Passau. Let us persevere, with 
patience and forbearance, to teach those whom God has con- 
fided to our care. Does not the farmer plough and sow in all 
years, though all years are not productive ? Even though 
they hear us not, and follow us not, we shall have done the 
will of God, and he will reward us. 



least of St. }?etcr 1 s (tfljair. 

JANUARY 18 AND FEBRUARY 22. 

What does the Church celebrate on these two days ? 

On the 22d of February she commemorates the establish- 
ment, by St. Peter, as Supreme Representative of Christ on 
earth, of his Episcopal See at Antioch, in Syria ; but on the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 677 

18th of January, the founding, seven years later, of his See at 
Rome, where he afterwards suffered a glorious martyrdom. 

Why did St. Peter remove the Apostolic See to Rome ? 

It was undoubtedly done through Divine Providence. For, 
as Rome was at that time the chief city of the world, and the 
centre, as it were, of all errors and superstitions, so it was fit 
that, as St. Leo says, it should become the centre and head of 
Christianity, and that by the Apostolic authority, the light of 
faith should be carried among all nations from that very place, 
whence, by worldly power, error had been spread over all parts 
of the then known world. 

What ought Catholics to do on this day ? 

They should thank God that he has caused them to belong 
to the Roman, Catholic, and therefore Apostolic Church, and 
should pray to him for the Supreme Head of this Church, the 
Pope, that God would be pleased to give him that zeal for his 
honor, and for the salvation of souls, which glowed in St. Peter, 
and the grace to follow him in Apostolic love and humility, 
as he follows him in the Apostolic See. 

The Introit of the Mass. The Lord made to him a cove- 
nant of jwace, and made him a prince, that the dignity of the 
priesthood shoidd be to him forever (Ecclus. xiv.) Lord, re- 
member David and all his meekness. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who conferring the keys of the kingdom of heaven, 
didst deliver to thy blessed Apostle, Peter, the sacerdotal power 
of binding and loosing, grant that by the help of his interces- 
sion we may be delivered from the chains of our sins. Who 
livest. 

Epistle. (Peter i. 1-7.) 

Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers dispersed through 
Pontus, Galatia, Oappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect, according to 
the foreknowledge of God the Father, unto the sanctifi cation of the 
Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: 
Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and 
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy 
hath regenerated us unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus 



678 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible, and unde- 
nted, and that cannot fade, reserved in heaven for you, who, by the 
power of God, are kept by faith unto salvation ready to be revealed 
in the last time. Wherein you shall greatly rejoice, if now you must 
be for a little time made sorrowful in divers temptations: that the 
trial of your faith much more precious than gold (which is tried by 
the tire) may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the appear- 
ing of Jesus Christ. 

Gospel. (Matt. xvi. 13-19.) 

At that time, Jesus came into the quarters of Cesarea Philippi : 
and he asked his disciples, saying : Whom do men say that the son of 
man is ? But they said : Some John the Baptist, and other some 
Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to 
them : But whom do you say that I am ? Simon Peter answered and 
said : Thou art Christ the Son of the living God. And Jesus answer- 
ing, said to him : Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona : because flesh 
and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in 
heaven. And I say to thee : That thou art Peter ; and upon this 
rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail 
against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heav- 
en. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth it shall be bound 
also in heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be 
loosed also in heaven. 



least of St. Sebastian, JHartnr. 

JANUARY 2 0. 

His Life. 

St. Sebastian was born of Christian parents, and brought up 
at JSTarbonne, a city in the south of France. On account of 
his splendid talents and irreproachable conduct, the emperor 
Diocletian appointed him captain of the first legion of his 
body-guard. Of this office he made great use in relieving the 
poor, and assisting Christians, particularly such as were in 
prison. He assisted them, consoled them, and encouraged 
them to persevere firmly in the faith — to suffer, and to die for 
Christ. By his fervent zeal, he effected the conversion of 
many pagans, among whom was the judge Cromatius, who, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 679 

being baptized, together with his family and fourteen hundred 
slaves whom he set free, resigned his office and retired to a 
villa. When Cromatius' successor, Fabian, heard of this, he 
ordered Sebastian to be brought before him, and reproached 
him with having converted Romans under his command to 
the Christian faith. The saint replied, " I believe that, by so 
doing, I am rendering the greatest service to the State ; for 
the more faithful we are to Christ, the more faithful shall we 
be to our temporal master." The emperor, being informed of 
what had taken place, in a rage commanded the soldiers to tie 
Sebastian to a post, and then to pierce him with arrows. The 
sentence was executed, and the soldiers left the saint, believing 
him dead. But a Christian woman, named Irene, who went 
out in the night to bury him, found him alive, and brought 
him to her house. In a short time he had recovered from his 
wounds, and having a desire, which he could not be persuaded 
to lay aside, to suffer martyrdom, he went before the emperor 
and said, " Sir, is it possible that you still believe the calum- 
nies against the Christians ? I come again to tell you, that in 
your whole empire you have no subjects more useful or more 
faithful than the Christians, who in their prayers implore the 
happiness of the empire." Diocletian, surprised to see Se- 
bastian still living, exclaimed, "What! are you yet alive?" 
"Yes," replied the saint, "the Lord has preserved my life, 
that I might tell you how impious you are in persecuting the 
Christians." Hereupon the emperor, exceedingly incensed, 
gave orders that Sebastian should be scourged to death, which 
was done accordingly ; and thus he went to heaven, to receive 
his martyr's crown, on January 20, a. d. 288. His body, which 
was thrown by the pagans into a filthy canal, was found by a 
woman of great virtue, named Lucina, hanging on a hook ; 
she caused it to be cared for, and buried at the entrance of the 
cemetery, which is to this day called the Catacomb of St. Se- 
bastian. 

Sentences of St. Sebastian. 
1. Whoever in this life, which so rapidly passes away, enjoys 
nothing but pleasures, shall lose them in the other world, which 
never ends. 



• 



680 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

2. The Christian does not fear the pains of this life, because 
he knows that by sorrows he purchases eternal happiness, and, 
after a short affliction, comes to everlasting joys'. If we desire 
to be forever happy with Christ, let us not fear to suffer the 
pains of the body for an hour. 

The Introit of the Mass is, Let the sighing of the prisoners 
come in before thee, O Lord / render to our neighbors seven- 
fold in their bosom ; revenge the blood of thy saints, which 
has been shed (Ps. lxxviii.) 

Prayer. 

Have regard to our weakness, O Almighty God, and, since 
the weight of our own deeds is grievous to thee, may the glo- 
rious intercession of thy blessed martyr, Sebastian, protect us. 
Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Hebrews xi. 33-39.) 

Brethren: The saints by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, 
obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence 
of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weak- 
ness, became valiant in war, put to flight the armies of foreigners : 
women received their dead raised to life again. But others were 
racked, not accepting deliverance, that they might find a better resur- 
rection. And others had trial of mockeries and stripes, moreover also 
of bands and prisons : they were stoned, they were cut asunder, they 
were tempted, they were put to death by the sword, they wandered 
about in sheep-skins, in goat-skins, being in want, distressed, afflicted : 
of whom the world was not worthy ; wandering in deserts, in moun- 
tains, and in dens, and in caves of the earth. And all these being 
approved by the testimony of faith, received not the promise in Christ 
Jesus, our Lord. 

The saints through faith subdued kingdoms (as Gideon and 
David), wrought justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths 
of lions (like Samson, David, Daniel), quenched the violence 
of fire (as the three young men in the furnace), escaped the 
edge of the sword (as Elias and David), recovered strength 
from weakness, became valiant in battle, put to flight the ar- 
mies of foreigners ; women received their dead raised to life 
again (as the widow of Sarepta, through Elias, received her 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 681 

deceased son). But others were racked, not accepting deliver- 
ance, that they might find a better resurrection (as the Macha- 
bee brothers). Others had trial of mockeries and stripes, &c. 

Explanation. 

The Apostle shows, by many examples from history, particu- 
larly from the Old Testament, what virtue living faith has, and 
what strength it imparts to its possessors, to endure even the 
greatest pains and torments. 

Where, now-a-days, shall we find such faith ? For fear of 
a trifling mockery, a paltry mark of contempt — and that too 
from persons who have abandoned their religion — even other- 
wise pious and believing Catholics will sometimes omit the 
public profession of their faith, and the practices which belong 
to it. On such, the word of the Lord will one day be made 
good. He that shall deny me before men, I will deny him 
before my Fatlier, who is in Heaven (Matt. x. 33). 

Gospel. (Luke vi. 17-23.) 

At that time: Jesus coming down with them, stood in a plain place, 
and the company of his disciples, and a very great multitude of people 
from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea-coast both of* Tyre and 
Sidon, who were come to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases. 
And they that were troubled with unclean spirits, were cured. And 
all the multitude sought to touch him, for virtue went out from him, 
and healed all. And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: 
Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are 
ye that hunger now : for you shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep 
now: for you shall laugh. Blessed shall you be when men shall hate 
you, and when they shall separate you, and shall reproach you, and 
cast out your name as evil, for the son of man's sake. Be glad in 
that day r and rejoice; for behold, your reward is great in heaven. 
29» 



682 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

feast of St. Paul, i!)e Apostle. 

JANUARY 25. 

The history of this conversion is fully given in the epistle 
taken from the Acts. . 

The Introit of the Mass is taken from 2 Tim. i. 12, to re- 
mind us that the conversion of St. Paul was fruitful in good 
works, and to show us what value God puts upon our good 
works, when he reserves them for eternal reward. I know 
whom I have believed, and I am certain, that he is able to keep 
that ichich I have committed to him against that day, being a 
just judge. Lord, thou hast proved me and known me, thou 
hast known my sitting down, and my rising up. Glory be 
to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who didst teach the whole world by the preaching 
of blessed Paul, the Apostle ; grant us, we beseech thee, that 
we, who this day celebrate his conversion, may advance to- 
wards thee by his example. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Acts ix. 1-22.) 

In those days : Saul as yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter 
against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high-priest, and asked 
of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues: that if he found any 
men and women of this way, lie might bring them bound to Jerusa- 
lem. And as he went on his journey, it came to pass that he drew 
nigh to Damascus: and suddenly a light from heaven shined round 
about him. And falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying to 
him: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Who said: Who art 
thou, Lord? And he said : I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is 
hard for thee to kick against the goad. And he trembling and aston- 
ished, said: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord 
said to him: Arise, and go into the city, and there it shall be told 
thee what thou must do. Now the men who went in company with 
him stood amazed, hearing indeed a voice, but seeing no man. And 
Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw 
nothing. But they leading him by the hands, brought him to Damas- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 6S3 

cus. And lie was there three days without sight, and he did neither 
eat nor drink. Now there wa9 a certain disciple at Damascus, named 
Ananias : and the Lord said to him in a vision : Ananias. And he 
said : Behold I am here, Lord. And the Lord said to him : Arise, and 
go into the street that is called Strait, and seek in the house of Judas, 
one named Saul of Tarsus. For behold he prayeth. (And he saw a 
man named Ananias, coming in and putting his hands upon him, that 
he might receive his sight.) But Ananias answered : Lord, I have 
heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy 
saints in Jerusalem. And here he hath authority from the chief- 
priests, to bind all that invoke thy name. And the Lord said to him : 
Go thy way, for this man is to me a vessel of election, to carry my 
name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. For 
I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 
And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house : and laying 
his hands upon him, he said : Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus hath sent 
me, he that appeared to thee in the way as thou earnest: that thou mayst 
receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately 
there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight; 
and rising up he was baptized. And when he had taken meat, he was 
strengthened. And he was with the disciples that were at Damascus, 
for some days. And immediately he preached Jesus in the synagogues, 
that he is the Son of God. And all that heard him were astonished, 
and said: Is not this he who persecuted in Jerusalem those that 
called upon this name; and came hither for that intent, that he might 
carry them bound to the chief-priests? But Saul increased much 
more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt at Damascus, 
affirming that this is the Christ. 

What do we learn from this history ? 

1. Xot to despise any sinner, nor to despair of his salvation : 
For like Paul on the road to Damascus, the greatest sinner 
may, by the grace of God, be suddenly converted, and become 
a saint. 2. To pray diligently for sinners, as St. Stephen 
prayed for Saul. To pray for the conversion of sinners is to 
pray that the sufferings of Christ may be fruitful in them. 
How pleasing is this to God, how profitable to men ! St. James 
says (v. 20) : Tie that causeth a sinner to be converted from 
the error of hit way, shall save his soul from death, and shall 
cover a multitude of sins. 3. How our own conversion must 
proceed, in order to be true. St. Paul at his conversion was 



684 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

deprived of sight, but in spirit was so enlightened that he 
cried out, Lord, what wilt thou to have me to do f At the 
command of God he accepted Ananias as his leader in the way 
of salvation, and became as zealous for the honor of Christ, as 
he had previously been intent on persecuting him. In like 
manner, a convert must shut his eyes to all by which he has 
heretofore been led astray, and must give heed to thnt only 
which God commands ; he must further place himself in the 
charge of an experienced spiritual director, and follow him in 
every thing ; finally, he must be as much devoted to the honor 
of God and the practice of virtue, as he has previously been 
to the service of the world, the devil, and the flesh, and what- 
ever is evil ; and from this new way he must not allow himself 
to be diverted either through ridicule or persecution. 

Gospel. (Matt. xix. 27-29.) 

At that time, Peter said to Jesus : Behold, we have left all things, 
and have followed thee: what, therefore, shall we have? And Jesus 
said to them: Amen I say to you, that you, who have followed me, 
in the regeneration, when the son of man shall sit on the seat of his 
majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of 
Israel. And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, 
or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's 
sake, shall receive an hundred-fold, and shall possess life everlasting. 

What does this gospel teach us ? 

I. Peter said, We have left all things. How could he lay 
so much weight on that, when he was only a poor fisherman, 
and had so little to forsake ? " But," says St. Gregory, " we 
must consider the love one has for a thing, rather than the 
thing itself." Although Peter possessed but little, yet he gave 
up all desire for that little, and thereby, in effect, gave up 
much. To renounce honors and riches is of no use, unless, 
also, one renounces all desire for them ; for Christ says, Every 
one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth (that 
is, who does not renounce it in regard to desire for it), cannot 
be my disciple (Luke xiv. 33). 

II. Peter not only left all, but he followed Christ. Christ 
required of the rich young man to follow him. Hereupon St. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 685 

Jerome remarks. "It is not enough to leave all, but we must 
also follow the Lord ;" that is, must live as he lived. Wouldst 
thou be a disciple of Christ ? Then follow his life. 

III. The Apostles, on account of their following Christ, and 
not merely for leaving their temporal goods, received the 
promise, that as they had renounced, with and for him, all 
human honors and riches, and in consequence had lived in 
poverty, contempt, and crucifixion of the flesh, they should sit 
on thrones with Christ, and together with them, all who for 
Christ's sake had done likewise. What a change, after so 
short tribulation ! Leave, therefore, for Christ's sake, what- 
ever thou hast ; follow him in the way of the cross. See ! one 
day, and that in a little while, you shall reign with him. 

IV. By the hundred-fold recompense, St. Jerome under- 
stands spiritual goods, the grace of God, virtues, inward con- 
solation, and the eternal happiness, which are a hundred-fold, 
that is, infinitely more precious than worldly goods. Oh how 
little is that which we give up for the love of God — and that 
little, only something of which death would one day certainly 
deprive us — in comparison with those goods which God be- 
stows upon us in this world, and in the world to come ! TJie 
eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the 
heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that 
love him (1 Cor. ii. 9). 

Aspiration. 

O God, who would not, for thy sake, leave all, when thereby 
we gain so much ! Grant us, therefore, thy grace, that although 
we may not actually give up all that we have, we may at least 
put from us whatever is superfluous, or injurious to our souls, 
and that we may not become so attached even to that which 
is necessary, as thereby to lose the goods that are eternal. 

Supplication to St. Paul. 
O St. Paul, great Apostle of the world, whom the powerful 
voice of God felled to the ground, that thou mightest rise 
again to true penance, and who thereby, from an enemy, be- 
came the most zealous friend and preacher of Christ, procure 



6$6 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

for me from him, I beseech thee, grace at last truly to know 
him, whom I have heretofore so often denied, offended, and, 
by my sins, crucified anew; to follow him, and, after thy ex- 
ample, to be henceforth as diligent in doing justice as I have 
formerly been in practising evil ; that I may one day attain to 
that happiness which thou hast gained, through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord. Amen. 



iFeast of St. Charles ilje <Bvzat. 

JANUARY 28. 
History of his Life. 

St. Charles the Great, son of King Pepin, subdued the Pagan 
Saxons in Germany, and brought them over to the Catholic 
faith. He erected churches, founded the bishoprics of Pader- 
born, Hildesheim, Minister, Osnabruck, built schools, and in- 
vited learned men into his empire, to instruct his subjects. On 
his travels, he caused his children to accompany him. The 
princes, his sons, were carefully instructed in the necessary 
arts and sciences, and his daughters were taught to employ 
themselves in weaving and spinning. At table he observed 
the greatest moderation. His clothes were so plain that they 
could hardly be distinguished from the common dress of the 
people. He protected the Popes against rebellions, and en- 
dowed the Roman Church with various gifts and privileges. 
At an Imperial Diet he collected the decrees of the Councils, 
and incorporated some of them into the laws of his empire. 
He established solemn divine service, and even instituted sing- 
ing-schools. He relieved the poor, gave lodging to strangers, 
and sent alms to the Christians in the East, sighing under the 
yoke of the Saracens. Several times during the night he rose 
from sleep to pray, and to read edifying books. In the year 
a.d. 800, the Pope solemnly crowned him, in St. Peter's, Roman 
Emperor, because he deserved w T ell of the Church and Empire. 

His earlier years, it is true, were not free from stain. But 
if he followed David in sin, he followed him also in penance. 
Towards the end of his life he gave up all temporal care, read 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 687 

day and night in the divine word, prayed more and more fer- 
vently, gave alms more abundantly, and admonished his son, 
Louis the Pious, to govern justly and mildly, and to protect 
the Holy Church. At the approach of death, after he had re- 
ceived the holy sacraments, he placed his body in the position 
in which he Avas to be buried. He laid his feet together, 
stretched out his hands, and with the words, " Lord, into 
thy hands I recommend my spirit," quietly expired, on the 
28th of January, a. d. 814, in the 72d year of his age, and the 
47th of his reign, and the 14th of his imperial dignity. He 
was buried at Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle), in the Cathedral 
which he had built there. The badges of his worldly great- 
ness, the crown and sceptre, which were borne with him into 
the vault, commanded less respect than the book of the Gos- 
pels, placed within his hands, and the penitential habit which 
he had so often worn for the mortification of the flesh. 

The Introit of the Mass is : The month of the just shall 
meditate wisdom, and his tongue shall speak judgment ; the 
law of God is in his heart (Ps. xxxvi.) Be not envious of 
evil-doers, nor envy them that work iniquity. Glory be to the 
Father. 

Prayer. 

Almighty and merciful God, who dost not exclude from thy 
glory any state of life, we most humbly beseech thee that, as 
thou hast given to thy blessed confessor Charles, after his 
reign on earth, a throne in thy heavenly kingdom, thou wouldst 
grant to us thy servants, through his merits and intercession, 
the reward of eternal happiness. Through Jesus Christ, thy 
Son, our Lord. Amen. 

Epistle. (Ecclus. xxxi. 8-11.) Same as on the Feast of St. Joachim. 
Gospel. (Luke xix. 12-1 G.) 

At that time, Jesus said to the multitude this parable: A certain 
nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself <'i kingdom, 
and to return. And calling his ten servants, he gave them ten pounds, 
and said to them: Trade till I come. But his citizens hated him: 
and they sent an embassage after him, saying: We will not have this 



688 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

man to reign over us. And it came to pass that he returned, having 
received the kingdom : and he commanded his servants to be called, 
to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much 
every man had gained by trading. And the first came, saying: Lord, 
thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 



purification of tl)£ Blesseo tHrjgitt Jttarg ; 

Commonly called Candlemas- Day. 
FEBKUAKY 2. 

On this day the Church solemnly celebrates the presentation 
of Jesus in the temple, and therein the obedience and humility 
both of Mary and her Divine Son, who, though not subject to 
the law in regard to purification and presentation, yet subjected 
themselves to it. Hence this feast is called the Purification of 
the Virgin Mary. In common speech we call it also Candle- 
mas, because on this day the candles required for the divine 
service are blessed and carried in procession. 

What is the design of this custom ? 

1. It is to remind us that Jesus, the light of the world, Avas 
offered up to his Heavenly Father, by Mary, in the temple at 
Jerusalem, where he was called by Simeon a light for the reve- 
lation of the Gentiles, and the glory of the people of Israel. 
2. To remind us, also, of several important truths, to which the 
priest refers in the prayers at the blessings. Thus he prays 
that as the earthly light dispels the darkness of night, so Jesus, 
with the light of his divine doctrine, may clear away our spirit- 
ual blindness and ignorance, and lead us in the way of virtue ; 
that as the Holy Ghost enlightened Simeon, so he may also en- 
lighten us to acknowledge Jesus as the true light, to love him 
and follow him, to keep our hearts from the way of sin, and to 
guide them in the way of virtue, and to kindle them with the 
fire of holy love ; finally, that God may preserve, in soul and 
body, those who use blessed candles with devotion, may hear 
their prayers, and grant them entrance into the kingdom of 
the eternal and ever blessed light. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 689 

What should we be thinking of during these ceremonies ? 

We should, 1. Thank God that he has given us the light of 
the true faith. 2. Make a resolution, like the prudent virgins, 
to go to meet Jesus with the burning light of faith, charity, 
and good works, and to show before our fellow-Christians the 
light of a good example. 3. Finally, offer up ourselves, with 
Jesus, to God, beseeching him to uphold us by his grace, to 
preserve us in our last moments, through the intercession of 
Mary, from everlasting darkness, and to make as partakers of 
eternal light. 

At the Introit of the Mass the Church sings: We have re- 
ceived thy mercy, God, in the midst of thy temple / accord- 
ing to thy name, God, so also is thy praise unto the ends 
of the earth ; thy right hand is full of justice (Ps. xlvii.) 
Great is the Lord and exceedingly to be praised in the city of 
our God, in his holy mountain. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

Almighty, everlasting God, we suppliantly beseech thy 
majesty, that, as thy only-begotten Son was this day presented 
in the temple in the substance of our flesh, so thou wouldst 
grant us to be presented to thee with purified souls. Through 
the same Lord. 

Epistle. (Mai. iii. 1-4.) 

Thus saith the Lord : Behold I send my angel, and he shall prepare 
the way before thy face. And presently the Lord, whom you seek, 
and the angel of the testament, whom you desire, shall come to his 
temple. Behold he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts : and who shall 
he able to think of the day of his coming? and who shall stand to see 
him ? for he is like a refining fire, and like the fuller's herb ; and he 
shall sit refining and cleansing the silver, and he shall purify the sons 
of Levi, and shall refine them as gold, and as silver, and they shall 
offer sacrifices to the Lord in justice. And the sacrifice of Juda and 
of Jerusalem shall please the Lord, as in the days of old, and in the 
ancient years, saith the Lord Almighty. 



690 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Explanation. 

The angel or messenger who is to prepare the way of the 
Lord is John the Baptist, but the long-desired Lord is Christ 
who on this day comes to his temple. He is called the angel 
of the testament (Malach. iii. 1), because he made a new and 
far better testament between God and man than had been 
made with the Jews, inasmuch as he gives to Christians not 
merely temporal, but eternal goods. The coming of this Lord 
is described by the prophets as at the same time both glorious 
and terrible. Observe, therefore, that pure as purified gold 
should he be who would in the sacrament of the altar worthily 
receive the Most Holy, and who would offer the most accepta- 
ble oblation. Purify thyself, therefore, O man, by the tears 
of penance and the fire of love, when thou art about either to 
receive Christ or offer him up in the holy sacrifice of the Mass. 

Gospel. (Luke ii. 22-32.) 

At that time: After the days of Mary's purification according to the 
law of Moses Avere accomplished, they carried Jesus to Jerusalem to 
present him to the Lord. As it is written in the law of the Lord : 
"Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord." 
And to offer a sacrifice according as it is written in the law of the 
Lord, a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons. And behold there 
was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and 
devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was 
in him. And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that 
he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 
And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when his parents 
brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom ot 
the law, he also took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said: 
Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word, 
in peace: because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast 
prepared before the face of all peoples: a light to the revelation of the 
G (.-utiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. 

Why was Jesus brought into the temple at Jerusalem? 

To be offered to God as the first-horn of Mary; for, in 
thankful remembrance that their first-born were preserved 
alive, when the first-born of the Egyptians all died, the Jews 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 691 

were commanded to offer all their first-born male children to 
God, and to redeem them by certain gifts (Levit. xiii. 13). 

Were Jesus and Mary bound to observe this law ? 

No ; for plainly, Jesus, as the Son of God, and author of the 
law, was not bound to the observance of the Mosaic ceremo- 
nies. In like manner Mary, having conceived by the Holy 
Ghost, was consequently without sin, and therefore in no need 
of purification. In Mary, says St. Bernard, there was nothing 
unclean, either at the conception or at the birth of her Son. 

Why, then, did they comply with the law ? 

They did it, not to give scandal to such as were ignorant of 
their being exempt from the law, to show, as it were, from the 
first, that Jesus was come to redeem sinners ; and finally, to 
leave us an example of humility and obedience. Learn hence 
to comply with laws which are not binding upon you, when 
you can see that your non-compliance would give offence to 
weak and ignorant persons, and strive at all times to show a 
good and edifying example. 

Why did not Mary offer a lamb, like the rich (Levit. xii. 6), 
but only a pair of doves, like the poor ? 

Because she was poor. And being so, she was not ashamed 
to show it before the world. Be not ashamed, therefore, that 
you are poor, but rather love the poverty which helps you to 
resemble Christ and his Mother. But if you are rich, at least 
be poor in spirit, foi* blessed are the poor in spirit (Matt. v. hi), 
and love the poor and oppressed in heart and in deed. 

Why did Simeon desire to die, when he held Jesus in his 
arms ? 

Because his wish was now fully accomplished. What more 
had he to desire, when he had not only seen, but had held in 
his arms, him who was the expectation of the nations — whom 
the fathers had so longed for in vain ? what, but to leave this 
world full of miseries, and to give back his spirit into the hands 
of his Saviour ? How happy is he who, with holy Simeon, can 
give up his spirit into the hands of God ! But such happiness, 
only the just and virtuous can enjoy. 

Why did Simeon call Jesus a light for the enlightenment of 
the Gentiles '? 



692 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Because Jesus had come into the world as the true light 
(John i. 9), who should free the Gentiles from the darkness of 
their superstitions, and from the slavery of their sins ; the Jews 
from their servitude to the Mosaic law; and translate both 
into the glorious freedom of the children of God (Gal. iv. 31). 

Aspiration. 

Heavenly Father, look down from the throne of thy mercy 
upon thy only-begotten Son, in whom thou art well pleased, 
and who to-day is offered up to thee, in thy temple, for the 
sins of his brethren. Let this innocent offering please thee, 
and move thee to mercy towards us poor sinners. For the 
sake of his humility and obedience, forgive our pride and dis- 
obedience, and grant that, purified by his blood, we may sleep 
the sleep of peace, and be presented to thee in the temple of 
thy glory, to behold, to love, and to praise thee, the everlast- 
ing light, world without end. 

Instruction for Women after Child-birth. 

The law of purification in the Old Testament, it is true, no 
longer applies to Christian women, because the Church has 
done away with Jewish ceremonies. But the spirit and inten- 
tion of that law the Church would yet have complied with. 
She permits women, therefore, to remain at home, with a good 
conscience, for six weeks after childbirth, or so long as circum- 
stances may require, without attending the divine service, in 
order to care for their health. This permission is, at the same 
time, an excellent admonition ; — to women, that, in order to 
their recovery, they should refrain from anger, from exposure, 
from hard labor, from injurious food ; to men, not to refuse 
their wives, during this period, set apart by God himself un- 
der the old law, the rest and attention which their nature re- 
quires. 

But when this time is past, the Church desires that women 
should, after the example of Mary, repair to the Church with 
their children, to procure the blessing of the priest, to give 
thanks to God for their safe delivery, to dedicate their chil- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 693 

dren to him, and to implore of him, with the priest, grace to 
bring up their offspring in piety and holiness. In this consists 
the so-called Churching of Women ; and, from what has been 
said, it is evident, not only that it contains nothing to be 
ashamed of, but that it should by no means be omitted by 
such as desire God's blessing. This, too, is plain, that the 
churching of women was not instituted to prevent their being 
harmed by the devil, by malicious persons, or by ghosts, and 
it would be not only a foolish fear, but a superstition to be 
condemned, if one were to suppose that a woman were liable 
to harm if she should go abroad before she were churched. 
Who can do us any harm against the will of God ? Who can 
touch even a hair of our head, without his knowledge. Re-. 
member Job. 

The feeble health of both women and children, after child- 
birth, is almost always owing to their having injured them- 
selves by want of care. 

Prayer for Women after Child-birth. 

Almighty and merciful God, who didst lay upon our mother 
Eve the fit punishment for her disobedience, that she should 
bear children in sorrow, I offer up to thee all the pains of my 
child-bearing in propitiation for my sins ; and I thank thee that, 
through thy help, the fruit of my womb has been safely brought 
forth into the world, and new-born in baptism. According to 
the example of the mother of thy only-begotten Son, I also 
offer up to thee my child for thy holy service, and will ear- 
nestly strive to bring it up to thy honor. To this end, give 
me, through the intercession of the most blessed Virgin, thy 
grace ; bless me and my child, and grant that we may live ac- 
cording to thy will here, and hereafter may obtain everlasting 
happiness. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen. 



694: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

iFcast of St. Blciae. 

FEBRUARY 3. 

Sis Life. 

St. Blase was born at Sebaste, in Armenia, of which place he 
was subsequently appointed bishop, on the solicitation of the 
people. At the time of the persecution against the Christians 
under Licinius, he betook himself to Mount Argaeus, and there 
hid himself in a cavern. One day Agricolaus, who had been 
sent to Sebaste to search for Christians, ordered a hunt to be 
held by his soldiers on the mountains. A deer, running to the 
cave where the holy bishop was secreted, caused him to be dis- 
covered as he was kneeling in prayer before a crucifix. He 
was immediately brought by the officers to Sebaste. Agrico- 
laus, first by flattery, then by torture, endeavored to dissuade 
him from his adherence to Christ. But neither promises, nor 
the painful scourgings which he endured, nor the torture of 
the sharp iron instruments with which his flesh was lacerated, 
could shake his faith and love. Finally, having been three 
times brought before the court, and having each time shown 
the same constancy, he was taken outside the city and be- 
headed, in the year 316. 

This saint wrought many miracles, and is yet invoked in 
dangerous diseases of the throat, because he saved the life of 
a rich widow's son, who had nearly died in consequence of 
swallowing a fish-bone. The Church accordingly sanctions a 
special blessing of throats on his day. Holding the blessed 
candles near the throat, in the form of a cross, the priest says: 
" Through the merits and intercession of St. Blase, bishop and 
martyr, God deliver thee from all diseases of the throat, and 
preserve thee from every other evil. In the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." 

If we take part in this pious custom of the Church, we 
should, above all, consider that while we unite our supplications 
with the prayers of the Church, that we may be preserved 
from bodily illness, we ought to guard our souls against sin, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 695 

particularly sins of the tongue and of the palate, as being 
more dangerous ills than any that can afflict our bodies. 

The Introit of the Mass is : ye priests of God, bless the 
Lord ; ye holy and humble of heart, praise God (Dan. iii.) 
All ye icorks of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt 
him above all, forever. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who givest us joy by the annual solemnity of St. 
Blase, thy holy bishop and martyr, mercifully grant us, in the 
fulness of thy love, that we may rejoice in the protection of 
him whose festival we to-day joyfully celebrate. Through 
Christ. 

Epistle. (2 Cor. i. 3-7.) 

Brethren : Blessed be the God and Father of onr Lord Jesus Christ, 
the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us 
in all our tribulation ; that -we also may be able to comfort them who 
are in all distress, by the exhortation wherewith we also are exhorted 
by God. For as the sufferings of Christ, abound in us : so also by 
Christ doth onr comfort abound. Now whether we be in tribulation, 
it is for your exhortation and salvation : or whether we be comforted, 
it is for your consolation: or whether we be exhorted, it is for your 
exhortation and salvation, which worketh the enduring of the same 
sufferings which we also suffer. That our hope for you may be 
steadfast: knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so 
shall you be also of the consolation, in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 

Gospel. (Matt. xvi. 24-27.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples : If any man will come after 
me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me: For 
he that will save his life, shall lose it, and he that shall lose his life 
for my sake, shall find it. For what doth it profit a man, if he gain 
the world, and suffer the loss of his own soul ? Or what exchange 
shall a man give for his soul? For the Son of Man shall come in the 
glory of his Father, with his angels, and then will he render to 
every man according to his works. 



696 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

feast of St. illattl)ias, tlje Apostle. 

FEBRUARY 24 or 25. 

Of this Apostle we know nothing certain, except what is 
contained in the epistle. 

At the Introit of the Mass the Church sings (Ps. exxxviii.), 
To me thy friends, God, are made exceedingly honorable / 
their principality is exceedingly strengthened. Lord, thou 
hast proved me and known me y thou hast known my sitting 
down and my rising up. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who didst associate blessed Matthias to the company 
of the Apostles, grant, we beseech thee, that by his interces- 
sion, we may ever experience thy tender mercy towards us 
Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Acts i. 15-26.) 

In those days Peter rising up in the midst of the brethren, said : 
(now the number of persons together was about an hundred and 
twenty,) Men, brethren, the scripture must needs be fulfilled, which 
the Holy Ghost spoke before by the mouth of David, concerning 
Judas, who was the leader of them that apprehended Jesus: Who 
was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. And 
he indeed hath possessed a field of the reward of iniquity, and being 
hanged burst asunder in the midst: and all his bowels gushed out. 
And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem : so that 
the same field was called in their tongue, Haceldaimi, that is to say, 
The field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms: u Let 
their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell 
therein. And his bishopric let another take." Wherefore of these 
men who have companied with us, all the time that the Lord Jesus 
came in and went out among us, beginning from the baptism of John 
until the day wherein he was taken up from us, one of these must be 
made a witness with us of his resurrection. And they appointed 
two, Joseph, called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Mat- 
thias. And praying, they said: Thou, Lord, knowest the hearts of 
all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen to take the 
place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas hath by 






THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 697 

transgression fallen, that he might go to his own place. And they 
gave them lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered 
with the eleven apostles. 

What does this epistle teach us ? 

I. The infamy and the consequences of avarice. With the 
reward of treachery, a field was bought for the burial of 
strangers, which received the name of the Field of Blood ; 
but the traitor hanged himself in despair. What an end 
for one chosen to be an Apostle ? What now has he gained 
by his avarice ? Learn from his unhappy fate the danger of 
avarice and of every other passion which is not rooted out 
betimes. 

II. After such an end, how pitiful appears the treachery of 
Judas ! But what less does he do who sets his heart upon 
gold and goods; who to gain them uses unlawful means, and 
hardens his heart against the needy? Does not such an one 
betray the law of God for base lucre ? In the needy, does he 
not show contempt to Jesus? Does he not put justice to sale 
for a paltry gain? Can the punishment of such treachery be 
long delayed ? 

III. From the example of the Apostles, who prayed with 
such earnestness at the choice of Matthias, learn how necessary 
prayer is upon occasion of choosing ministers of the Church, 
that God may direct the choice to such as are truly fit for the 
office. Who else is the searcher of hearts and reins f Who 
else knows all the human and worldly regards by which they 
who are to choose may be influenced ? Who is it that leads 
hearts like a brook ? On such occasions, therefore, w-e should 
be earnest in prayer ; for if the choice, instead of being direct- 
ed by God, as in the case of Matthias, should be governed by 
the designs of men, instead of a Matthias, we might easily 
have a Judas. And then, what indescribable misfortune for 
the whole Hock! 

IV. From the fact that no one of the disciples presented him- 
self as a claimant of the apostolate, we learn not to force our- 
selves into spiritual office and dignity, but to await the call of 
God, since otherwise we could not be sure of the necessary 
grace. 

30 



69S INSTRUCTIONS ON 

V. Finally, this epistle contains a most important lesson in 
regard to our choice of state in life. All mankind compose 
the great family of God. But as in one family all have not 
the same duty to discharge, but each one has his own peculiar 
office, and that in such a manner that for one member to un- 
dertake what is assigned to another, would produce disorder 
and confusion, in like manner God has assigned to every man 
a certain sphere in which to work, and out of which he cannot 
work, either to his own advantage or to that of others. Or, as 
in one body there are many members, but each has its own 
function, so also in human society, each one has his own voca- 
tion assigned him by God. Every one sees at once how im- 
portant it is that each one should know what this vocation is, 
and should live according to it. By this means only, can man 
fulfil the will of God ; by this means only, can man walk in 
the way of salvation ; by this means only, can one, in truth, 
profit himself and others. Surely it comes from mistaken vo- 
cations, that there are so many unquiet, discontented, useless 
men; for, as they are not in the places for which God in- 
tended them, and for which their abilities were given them, so 
neither are they fit for any thing else, and, by consequence, are 
discontented with themselves, with others, and with the cir- 
cumstances in which they find themselves, not knowing how 
to subject and accommodate themselves to any thing. Every 
one, therefore, to whom the will of God is a sacred thing, to 
whom salvation is dear, ought, at the time of choosing his vo- 
cation, to endeavor to know to what state God has called him. 
To this end he should, 1. Pray to God, with fervor and perse- 
verance, to enlighten him, as the Apostles prayed before choos- 
ing St. Matthias. 2. He should make himself worthy of this 
divine enlightenment by a God-fearing life. 3. He should ex- 
amine carefully his inclinations, his talents and abilities, as in 
the sight of God, and neither choose of himself a state for 
which he is unfit, nor allow himself to be forced into any such 
by others. 4. He should neither trust nor follow a first excite- 
ment or inclination, nor a vehement passion. Passion is both 
blind and blinding; and as the step is so important — usually, 
indeed, decisive for one's whole life — certainly it ought not to 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 699 

be the result of mere inclination, but should be deliberately 
and earnestly considered in the sight of God. 5. He should 
call upon his pastor, his confessor, and his parents, for counsel. 
They may often know one's capabilities better than he himself. 
Besides, they are the guides appointed for us by God, and our 
natural counsellors. In this case, if ever, their advice is to be 
made use of. He who believes in, and follows himself, says St. 
Bernard, has a fool for his guide. 6. Such counsel is not to be 
first sought when it is already too late to change, but at the very 
beginning. Here, however, it is to be observed, that parents 
are to assist in the choice of a right vocation, but not to make 
the vocation ; and accordingly, they sin grievously when, from 
worldly considerations, they force a child into a calling to 
which his will and inclinations are opposed, or when they de- 
termine, while the child is yet in the cradle, what he shall be. 
The Apostles besought God for light ; so too should parents in 
choosing the vocation of a child. 

Gospel. (Matt. xi. 25-30.) 

At that time Jesus answered and said : I confess to thee, Father, 
Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from 
the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones. Yea, 
Father: for so hath it seemed good in thy sight. All things are de- 
livered to me by my Father. And no one knoweth the Son, but the 
Father: neither doth any one know the Father, but the Son, and he 
to whom it shall please the Son to reveal him. Come to me, all you 
that labor, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up my yoke" 
upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart : 
and you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my 
burden light. 

"What is the meaning of those words, I praise thee, Muher^ 
because thou hast hid these things from the wise and -prudent, 

and hast revealed them to little ones. 

The wise and prudent, are the proud Scribes and Pharisees, 
who, in their imaginary wisdom, would not receive the incar- 
nate and suffering Son of God, but despised and rejected him ; 
in general, they represent also, all who in their pride would 
measure every thing by their own understanding, and to whom, 



700 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

consequently, the mysteries of faith seem foolishness. The 
little ones are the Apostles, who, although taken from a low 
condition of life, without a learned education, but rather igno- 
rant, were enlightened by God to know the deepest mysteries, 
because they had docile and humble hearts, desirous of salva- 
tion. Thus God gives grace to the humble, while the proud 
go away empty. 

How has the Father given all things into the hands of Christ ? 

In sending him into the world, he made him the Teacher and 
Exemplar, the King and Guide, the Redeemer and Judge of 
all men, and gave him all power in heaven and on earth (Matt, 
xxviii. 18). 

Who are they of whom Jesus speaks as those that labor, 
and are burdened ? 

1. Firstly, those of his hearers who had to bear the burden 
of the Pharisees' precepts. 2. Those who are under the yoke 
of sin. 3. Those who are bowed down under the cares, sor- 
rows, and temptations of this life. Finally, 4. Those who 
must use violence to enter the narrow gate. 

How does Christ refresh them ? 

The first sort, by removing the obligation of those precepts, 
and by showing them a higher kind of justice; the second, 
by remitting to them, when penitent, their sins, and the pun- 
ishment of them ; the third, bv comforting and strengthening 
tli em to bear their sorrows and temptations joyfully, without 
being discouraged ; the fourth, by imparting to them grace, 
to overcome all hindrances to their salvation. 

What should we learn from Christ ? 

To be meek and humble of heart. We are meek, when, 
according to his example, we suffer, patiently, injuries inflicted 
upon us, without taking revenge ; we are humble of heart, 
when, acknowledging our frailty and short-comings, we think 
little of ourselves, and are unwilling that others should esteem 
us better than we are. 

What does Christ promise those who bear his yoke, and fol- 
low him ? 

Peace of mind, temporal and eternal happiness: and, indeed, 
must we not confess, that as often as we are disquieted and 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 701 

discontented, the cause of it is, our selfishness and want of 
submission to the will of God, our pride and vanity: Learn, 
then, to love to be meek and humble, if you would enjoy 
peace, here or hereafter. 

Aspiration. 

O most meek and humble Jesus, we thank thee that thou 
dost invite us, laden with so many burdens, to come to thee, 
that thou mayest give us refreshment and rest. But give us 
also the grace, in all trials and afflictions, to fly to thee with 
true confidence, and by meekness and humility to make our- 
selves worthy of thy reviving consolation. 

What we must Believe in regard to Keeping the Com- 
mandments. 

" My yoke is sweet and rny burden light." — Matt. xi. 30. 
Many persons say that it is impossible to keep all the com- 
mandments. But such an assertion is rash and and well-nigh 
blasphemous. For has not Christ said, My yoke is sweet and 
my burden light f Has he not promised us his assistance, with 
which we can overcome the world ? Would not God be unjust, 
to impose upon us burdens which we were unable to bear ? In- 
deed, if he required of us more than we were able to do, would 
not he himself be the author of sin? — which one may not 
think even, far less say, without blasphemy. On the contrary, 
he has given us commandments which we can keep, and has 
made the observance of them easy, by the example of Jesus 
Christ, by the grace of the Holy Ghost, and by the rewards 
and crowns of victory which he has promised, in the world to 
come, to such as keep his commandments. Christ himself did 
those things which we are commanded to do, in order to 
obtain eternal life, and thus showed that these commandments 
can be fulfilled. It is with keeping the commandments as 
with travelling a difficult road : one goes on with the more 

o Jo 

courage if he sees some one else before him. 

Accordingly, Christ assumed a body and a nature like ours, 
walked before us in the way, and himself fulfilled the com- 
mandments, that we might the more easily follow him in the 



702 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

way to heaven. Thus -the command : If one strike thee on 
thy right cheek, turn to him also the other (Matt. v. 39), was 
fulfilled by Christ in taking no revenge on that servant of the 
high-priest who gave him a blow ; but, showing the greatest 
meekness, he said : If I have spoken evil, give testimony of the 
evil, but if well, why strikest thou me f (John xviii. 23). Again, 
having taught that we should patiently suffer calumnies, he il- 
lustrated his teaching by his deeds. For when they said of 
him, that he had a devil, and called him a Samaritan (John viii. 
48), he did not destroy them, or punish them for their malice, 
but rather showed them kindness, and cast out the evil spirits 
which possessed some of" them. In like manner, he one day 
said: Pray for those that persecute you (Matt. v. 45), and he 
fulfilled his precept when, as he hung nailed to the cross, he 
prayed : Father, forgive them, for they know not what they 
do (Luke xxiii. 34). Thus, what he enjoined, he also exempli- 
fied. Among the saints, also, we find similar examples of vir- 
tue, as is proved by their lives, and, in particular, by the life 
of St. Matthias. By them God shows us that the keeping of 
his commandments is not only possible, but that it is easy. 
The same lesson is derived from the promises given to those 
who shall keep the commandments. Thus Jesus, having taught 
Pray for them that persecute and calumniate you, immediately 
adds, that you may be the children of your Father who is in 
heaven (Matt. v. 44, 45). In like manner he said : Blessed 
are ye, when they shall revile you and persecute you, and speak 
all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake ; be glad and 
rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven (Matt. v. 11, 
12). The Apostle teaches the same thing by divine revela- 
tion : Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered 
into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for 
them that love him y that is, that keep his commandments (1 
Cor. ii. 9 ; John xiv. 15). Who, then, would not willingly 
fulfil all the commandments, in order to be a child of the 
Father in heaven, to secure this great reward, this inexpressi- 
ble happiness ? We must consider, further, that to all who 
have this desire, God has promised his grace and assistance. 
Abide in me, says the Lord, and I in you (John xv. 4). As 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 703 

the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abide in the 
vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the 
vine, you are the branches ; he that abideth in me, and I in 
him, the same beareth much fruit y that is, he shall be rich in 
good works. Therefore St. John writes : Of his fulness we 
all have received, and grace for grace (John i. 16); and St. 
Paul confesses, that of himself he could do no good works, 
but that the grace of God was powerful in his infirmities (2 
Cor. xii. 9) ; he even exclaims : If God be for us, who is 
against us? (Rom. viii. 31). Let us, then, follow the exam- 
ples of Christ and his saints ; let us earnestly co-operate with 
the grace of God, and faithfully and inviolably keep his com- 
mandments, that we may hereafter obtain the joys of life ever- 
lasting. 

Prayer to St. Matthias. 

O Saint Matthias, glorious Apostle and martyr of Jesus 
Christ, Avho, by the special providence of God, wast added to 
the eleven Apostles, in the room of the traitor, I humbly be- 
seech thee to obtain for us the grace of him who chose thee 
from all eternity, that assisted thereby, we may, after thy ex- 
ample, keep the commandments of God, practise good works, 
and thus merit to be numbered with the elect ; through Jesus 
Christ, our Lord. Amen. 



iTeast of St. SosepI). 

MAECH 19. 
His Life. 

St. Joseph was descended from the kingly line of David, and 
was a kinsman of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Matt. i. 1-16). 
The Gospel gives him the praise of being just (Matt. i. 19), that 
is, a man distinguished for all virtues. And surely, as he was 
chosen from all other men, by God, to be the foster-father of 
his Son, he undoubtedly excelled, in virtues and sanctity, all 
saints then living. Of his youth, nothing certain is known to 
us, and of his later life we know only what the Gospel relates. 



,704 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

He was a carpenter (Matt. xiii. 55), and lived at Nazareth, in 
Galilee (Luke ii. 4). Being espoused to Mary, he was inclined, 
upon learning that she was with child, to put her away pri- 
vately ; not desiring to expose her to public reproach ; but 
being instructed by an angel, he took her to himself, in obedi- 
ence to the command of God, went with her to Bethlehem, and 
afterwards, with Mary and the new-born child, fled, without 
timidity, to Egypt (Matt. ii. 13). At the command of the angel 
he returned thence, and again dwelt in Nazareth (Matt. ii. 23). 
From this place they went every year to the feast at Jerusalem, 
where it happened that Jesus, then twelve years old, remained 
behind them in the temple, and was anxiously sought for by 
them. More than this is not told us. At the time of the mar- 
riage at Cana, it would seem that he was no longer living, 
since there is no mention made of him. Little, however, as is 
said of him, that little is rich in profitable instruction. How 
worthy to be admired and imitated is his example — his chas- 
tity, his tenderness towards Mary, his forbearing to pronounce 
a judgment in regard to her condition, when he could not ex- 
plain it, his quick and unreserved obedience towards God and 
the commands of authority, his love for Jesus, and his care for 
both the Mother and the Child. On account of his sanctity 
God has specially distinguished him by miracles, and the 
Church honors him in a particular manner. In the Litany of 
the Saints he is named among the Patriarchs, and the feast of 
his patronage is celebrated on the Third Sunday after Easter. 
Venerate, therefore, St. Joseph ; choose him for your protec- 
tor in life and in death, and, to make yourself worthy of his 
protection, follow his example. 

Joseph a Pattern for Christian Young Men. 
Although the virtues of St. Joseph deserve to be imitated 
by all men, in all states of life, yet he is more particularly 
a bright example for young men. Indeed, there would be 
fewer crimes to complain of, parents would have less disobe- 
dience to grieve over, families less discord and distress to 
bear, if young men would only take St. Joseph for their model. 
Let him be your pattern ; copy him ; and learn from him what 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 70S 

will make you happy in time and in eternity. Learn from him, 
then, 1. Fear of God. St. Joseph had God constantly before 
his eyes, endeavoring always to fulfil his will, and to shun every 
sin, by which means he gained the name of a just man. He 
cheerfully visited the temple to worship God there, and prayed 
daily at home at certain hours. In like manner, you, young 
man, must strive to keep God before your eyes ; to avoid sin 
as the greatest of all evils; to flee whatever leads to it; to at- 
tend diligently the divine service ; to hear gladly the word of 
God ; to attend carefully to your prayers, particularly at morn- 
ing and night. 

2. To work vrith industry. Joseph was a mechanic, worked 
with diligence to earn his bread. Do you, Christian young man, 
do the like ; for God has given you strength to this very end. 
Idleness has always been the source of all vices. From your 
youth, therefore, accustom yourself to work ; avoid being with- 
out employment and lounging about ; keep away from dan- 
cing-houses, bar-rooms, plays, and mischievous societies, and 
instead, keep at your work, and spend your spare time at 
home, with your own family. He who works hard rests well ; 
he is tired, but has a good conscience. 

3. Chastity. The crown and glory of youth is a chaste 
heart and life. How carefully St. Joseph preserved parity! 
Impurity profanes the temple of God, drives away the Holy 
Ghost, deprives us of God's blessing, and when grown into a 
habit, is hard to correct. This experience shows. Love, there- 
fore, O young man. chastity. Fly from every thing that puts it 
in danger — such as idleness, drinking, private meetings with per- 
sons of the opposite sex, particularly at night, all unchaste talk, 
and dangerous company ; make use, on the other hand, of the 
means by which chastity may be protected and preserved — 
prayer, the holy sacraments, labor, flight from danger. Finally, 
learn from St. Joseph, if you are about to enter into marriage, 
not to choose your companion for life out of passion, nor fo? 
mere outward beauty, nor yet on account of riches or other 
worldly considerations; but, first of all, consider the matter as 
in the sight of God, and have regard rather to virtue, the fear 
of God, and homelike dispositions. Remember Joseph pre- 

3u« 



706 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ferred Mary, the daughter of Joachim, poor, but virtuous, and 
rich in grace, to all the daughters of Juda. 

Joseph a Pattern for Mechanics. 

Like Joseph, every mechanic should be industrious at his 
trade. 1. Joseph worked perseveringly day by day, to earn 
his daily bread. So, too, the mechanic should not think it 
sufficient to work merely while need drives, but every day, in 
order to provide for himself, and for those belonging to him, 
not only a momentary support, but something that may be 
laid up against the wants of the future. Surely it is no light 
sin when mechanics refuse to work, and squander on Sundays 
and holydays the earnings of the week. By such courses they 
lose their ability to do good, in case of sickness or want, be- 
come a burden upon others, and, where they have families, leave 
them to starve. How will they be able to answer for this ? 

2. Joseph worked well and diligently, and fairly earned his 
wages. In like manner, the mechanic should not do his 
work superficially or badly ; should not ask more than he has 
earned ; should not work slowly to gain the more pay, for this 
would be robbery ; but it is his business to furnish good work, 
at the right time, and for fair wages. Justice brings a blessing. 
The unjust person is the cause of many sins, and brings down 
upon himself the curse of God. 

3. Joseph viorked for God's sake. Let the mechanic, ac- 
cordingly, work with sl good intention, and with devotion, as 
for God ; not merely for temporal rewards, but above all, for 
the sake of the eternal ; and therefore let him not curse and 
swear when things go not as he would wish, but let him be 
quiet and subdue himself; in this way, by his labor, he will 
gain heaven. 

Introit of the Mass. TJie just shall flourish like the palm- 
tree ; he shall grow up like the cedar of Libanus, planted in 
the house of the Lord., in the courts of the house of our God 
(Ps. xci.) It is good to give praise to the Lord, and to sing to 
thy name, most High. Glory be to the Father. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 707 

Prayer. 

We beseech thee, O Lord, that we may be assisted by the 
merits of the spouse of thy most holy Mother, that what of 
ourselves we are unable to obtain, may be given to us by his 
intercession. Who livest. 

Epistle. (Ecclus. xlv. 1-6.) 

Beloved of God and men ; whose memory is in benediction. ITe 
made him like the saints in glory, and magnified him in the fear of 
his enemies, and with his words he made prodigies to cease. He glo- 
rified him in the sight of kings, and gave him commandments in the 
sight of his people, and showed him his glory. He sanctified him in 
his faith and meekness, and chose him out of all flesh. For he heard 
him, and his voice, and brought him into a cloud. And he gave him 
commandments before his face, and a law of life and instruction. 

Practice. 

What the Scripture here says of Moses, in a striking man- 
ner applies to St. Joseph, for which reason the Church causes 
this epistle to be read to-day. That St. Joseph was highly 
beloved of God, is shown by his having been chosen to be the 
foster-father of Jesus ; his memory is therefore blessed and 
praised by all true Christians. His purity, his fidelity and 
love made him a very great saint. God took him into the 
cloud by revealing to 'him — what was concealed from other 
men — the mystery of the incarnation of the only-begotten Son, 
and by receiving him, after death, into heaven, where he now 
beholds God face to face, and pleads as a powerful intercessor 
for men. 

Gospel. . (Matt. i. 18-21.) 

When Mary the mother of Jesus was espoused to Joseph, before 
they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 
Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing 
publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately. But 
while he thought on these things, behold the Angel of the Lord ap- 
peared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to 
take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is 
of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son : and thou shalt 
call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their sins. 



708 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Why was the ever-blessed Virgin espoused to St. Joseph ? 

This doubtless took place by the providence of God, who 
orders all things in mercy. 

St. Jerome adduces the following reasons for it : 1. That, by 
the descent of St. Joseph from the house of David, it might be 
established that Mary and Jesus belonged to the same line ; 
inasmuch as, under the old law, a woman could not, where 
there were no male heirs, marry out of her own tribe. 

2. That Mary might not be stoned to death — which would 
have been her lot had she borne a child out of wedlock — and 
that Jesus might not be looked upon as an illegitimate child, 
and on that account be despised and rejected. 

3. That Mary, with the child, might have useful assistance, 
particularly at the time when she fled with Jesus into Egypt. 

Why was Joseph inclined secretly to leave Mary ? 

Because, not being yet instructed in regard to the divine 
mysteries, he wished, as a just man, to take the justest course; 
he was unwilling to violate justice by marriage with a person 
in any way dishonored, but as he knew not the circumstances of 
the case, he was also unwilling to violate charity, which does 
not pronounce judgment where it has not exact knowledge, 
w T hich does not give itself up to suspicion, but acts with forbear- 
ance. From him learn to be just, and to have true charity. 

Why did not Mary herself reveal the mystery ? 

Out of humility, by virtue of which she would rather draw 
upon herself evil suspicion, than make known the great graces 
which God had conferred upon her. Besides, she could not 
but expect that God himself would assist her, and make her 
innocence known. What a reproach to those who so readily 
trumpet forth to the world their, good w r orks, and who are 
nearly ready to despair at the lightest breath upon their good 
name. 

Instruction on the Veneration of /St. Joseph. 

The example of Jesus Christ, writes St. Alphonsus Liguori 
(who, while upon earth, venerated St. Joseph so highly that all 
his life long he was obedient to him), ought to be sufficient to 
inflame all hearts with devotion to this great saint. Truly, he 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 709 

who was so highly exalted by the King of kings deserves a 
particular veneration from men. To encourage us to such 
veneration, St. Teresa wrote, "I do not remember to have 
asked St. Joseph for any thing which he did not grant me. 
The great favors which God has granted me through him, and 
the many dangers of soul and body from which he has freed 
me, truly deserve admiration. It seems that God has granted 
to other saints the grace of assisting, in particular needs, those 
who invoke their intercession ; but of this glorious saint, I have 
had experience that he assists in all needs. The Lord seems 
thereby to indicate that, as he was subject to Joseph on earth, 
so now he grants him whatever he asks for. The same thing 
has been experienced by persons whom I have advised to 
recommend themselves to him." " I would gladly advise every 
one," continues St. Alphonsus,"to have a great devotion towards 
this saint, since I have had experience what graces he can ob- 
tain from God. For several years I have asked of him, on his 
feast, some particular grace, and every time my petition has 
been graated. As we all have to die, we should have a par- 
ticular devotion towards St. Joseph, that he may obtain for us 
a happy death ; for all Catholic Christians consider him to be 
an intercessor for the dying, and that he assists, at the hour of 
death, those who venerate him ; and this tor three reasons . 
1. Because Jesus loves him, not only as a friend, but as a fa- 
ther, on which account his intercession is more powerful than 
that of any other saint. 2. Because St. Joseph obtained special 
power against the evil spirits who tempt us at the hour of 
death. For as he delivered Jesus from the snares of Herod, 
so God gave him power to protect the dying from the snares 
of the devil. 3. The assistance which Jesus and Mary gave to 
Joseph at the hour of his own death, procured for him the 
right to obtain a holy and easy death for his dependants. If, 
in their dying hour, they invoke his aid, not only will he assist 
them, but he will obtain for them the assistance of Jesus and 
Mary." Ought not these words of a great saint to encourage 
you to .venerate St. Joseph every day'? Should not the hope 
of dying one day, under the protection of Jesus, Mary, and 
Joseph, move you to devotion to the foster-father of Jesus ? 



710 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Prayer to St. Joseph. 

O most chaste Joseph, who, by thy purity and other exalted 
virtues, wast worthy to be chosen for the spouse of Mary and 
the foster-father of Jesus, I beseech thee, by the great graces 
of which thou wast made partaker, that thou wouldst, by thy 
intercession, obtain for all parents grace to rear their children 
piously ; for all married persons, who are distressed and af- 
flicted through poverty and tribulations, consolation and en- 
couragement ; for all unmarried persons who have devoted 
their chastity to God, the grace of perseverance ; and, finally, 
for all the dying the grace to come, after a happy death, to 
thy foster-child, Jesus Christ, who, with the Father and the 
Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. 
Amen. 



JFeast of tt)c Enunciation of i\\z JGMesseo birgin ittarn. 

MAECH 25. 

This feast is so called from the Archangel Gabriel announcing 
to the Blessed Virgin that she was to be the mother of the 
Messias. In the Introit of the Mass the Church refers to this 
high dignity of Mary's. All the rich shall entreat thy coun- 
tenance / after her shall virgi?is be brought to the King / her 
neighbors shall be brought to thee in gladness and rejoicing 
(Ps. xliv.) My heart had tittered a good word, I speak my 
works to the King. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who didst please that thy Word should take flesh, at 
the message of an angel, in the womb of the Blessed Virgin 
Mary, grant to thy suppliants, that we, who believe her to be 
truly the Mother of God, may be blessed by her intercession 
with thee. Through Christ. 

[See the Epistle and its explanation on Wednesday of the 
Ember-week in Advent.] 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 711 

Gospel. (Luke i. 2G-38.) 
At that time, the Angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city 
of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose 
name was Joseph, of the house of David : and the virgin's name 
was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full 
of grace, the Lord is with thee : blessed art thou among women. 
Who, having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with her- 
self what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said 
to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Be- 
hold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son, 
and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be 
called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God shall give unto 
him the throne of David, his father, and he shall reign in the house 
of Jacob, his father, forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no 
end. And Mary said to the angel : How shall this be done, because 
I know not man? And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy 
Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall 
overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born 
of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Eliza- 
beth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the 
sixth month with her that is called barren ; because no word shall be 
impossible with God. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the 
Lord, be it done to me according to thy word. 

Why does the Evangelist describe so minutely the announce- 
ment of the incarnation of Christ ? 

That we may bring to mind, believe in, and meditate upon, 
the mystery of the incarnation, from which our salvation 
springs. 

Was the incarnation necessary to our redemption ? 

Yes ; for the Son of God could not suffer as God ; but, with- 
out an infinitely meritorious suffering, no sufficient satisfaction 
for the sins of men could have been rendered to God ; nor 
would sin have appeared in all its enormity. How horrible, 
then, must be the evil of sin, when it could not be atoned for 
by a pure man, nor even by the satisfaction of an angel, but 
only bv the sufferings of the God-man! O sinner, think on 
this*! 

Why was Mary troubled at the message of the angel ? 

Partly out of humility — partly out of modesty. She was 



712 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

so humble that she considered herself the least of all women, 
and could not therefore understand how such an honor should 
be assigned to her. She possessed further, such modesty, and 
loved so dearly virginal purity, that she was troubled at hear- 
ing from the angel that she was to be a mother. What an in- 
structive lesson for young women ! The most precious orna- 
ments, and the most needful virtues for them are humility, 
modesty, and love of purity, without which they are only the 
skeletons of virgins. Would that they might all prize these 
treasures, watch over them, and, to preserve them, fly from all 
occasions of sin, and pray, as did Mary ! 

By what means did the angel remove Mary's fear ? 

By the assurance that God had thought her worthy of the 
particular grace of being mother to a son who should, at the 
same time, be the Son of the Most High, and should establish 
a new, spiritual, and everlasting kingdom, which had been pre- 
figured by that of David ; and further, by declaring to her, 
that while she should become a mother, she should yet remain 
a virgin ; which, with God, the Almighty, was no less possible 
than for Elizabeth to conceive a son in her old age. These 
words are, in many respects, full of instruction for us. They 
show, 1. That Jesus united the nature of God and the nature 
of man, in one person : the nature of God, as being the Son 
of the Most High, begotten of his substance from all eter- 
nity; the nature of man, in that, without any earthly father, by 
the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost, he took a human body 
of Mary. 

They show, 2. How pleasing Mary was in the sight of God, 
and what dignity was given to her. She is the mother of the 
God-man. 

They teach us, 3. What confidence we should place in God, 
who, having power to do all things, easily can and will help 
us, at the most critical moments, even when all help seems im- 
possible, if it be for our good, and if we call upon him. 

Did Mary then assent ? 

Yes; with the deepest humility, with the most tender love 
of God, with the most submissive obedience, with perfect re- 
signation, and with ardent desire to co-operate in God's de- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 713 

sign, she spoke those words of salvation which atoned for the 
disobedience of Eve, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be 
it done to me according to thy word. And in the same mo- 
ment the inscrutable mystery of the incarnation was accom- 
plished in her. Let us prostrate ourselves in the dust and 
adore the Thrice Holy God ; let us thank him in word and 
deed, that he should humble himself so low, to make us par- 
takers of the divine nature. And let this be a daily practice, 
even as the Church, by introducing the "Angelic Salutation," 
would incite us to continual recollection, adoration, thanks- 
giving, and earnestness. Or is this, perhaps, too much of a re- 
turn for such infinite gifts? 

* 
Aspiration. 

O daughter of the Eternal Father, chosen from all eternity, 
true Mother of his only-begotten Son, Virgin-Bride of the Holy 
Ghost, Ave humbly look up to thy glory, and beseech thee to 
obtain for us poor sinners, through him who was born of thee, 
grace to imitate thy virtues, like thee to order our lives in 
humility, chastity, and obedience, and one day to be received 
into thy glory. 

Instruction on the Angelus Domini, called cdso the Angelic 
Salutation. 

To excite us to continual thanksgiving and adoration on ac- 
count of the mystery of the incarnation, and that we may 
profit thereby, there has been established in the Church the 
salutary custom of saying, three times a day, the Angelic Salu- 
tation, the signal for which is given by ringing a bell, com- 
monly called the " angelus bell." 

The usage is to repeat three Hail Marys, introducing be- 
fore each certain words of Holy Scripture relating to the in- 
carnation ; thus, before the first, The angel of the Lord 
declared unto Mary, and she conceiced of the Holy Ghost. 
Hail Mary, etc. Before the second, Behold the handmaid of 
the Lord, may it be done unto me according to thy word. 
Hail Mary, etc. Before the third, And the Word teas made 



714 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

flesh, and dwelt amo?ig us. Hail Mary, etc. Next is said the 
following 

Prayer. 

Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our 
hearts, that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, thy Son, 
has been made known by the message of an angel, may, by his 
passion and cross be brought to the glory of his resurrection. 
Through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

The threefold repetition of the Hail Mary is to adore the 
Most Holy Trinity, who co-operated in the incarnation ; to 
sanctify, by uniting our works with those of Jesus, the begin- 
ning, the middle, and the end of the day, and to incite us 
continually to whatever is good ; and to invoke the protection 
of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, against all our enemies, visi- 
ble and invisible, who at morning would hinder us from begin- 
ning, at noon from pursuing, and at evening from completing 
works pleasing to God. Upon every heart susceptible of feel- 
ing, how salutary must be the eifect of thus remembering the 
love of God so manifestly displayed in the incarnation ! How 
must it quicken our thankfulness towards God, and our earn- 
estness for the salvation of our own souls ! Let us, then, say 
this salutation, 1. Constantly. 2. With gratitude for the love 
of God. 3. With sorrow for those sins of ours, on account of 
which Christ became man. 4. With devotion ; that is, with 
thoughtfulness of what we are saying. 5. And lastly, with 
suitable bodily reverence, in particular by kneeling, save at 
Easter tide, when we pray standing, in remembrance of Christ's 
rising from the grave. But to understand rightly what we 
pray for, read attentively and repeatedly the following 

Explanation of the Hail Mary. 

Why is this prayer called the Hail Mary, or Angelic Saluta- 
tion ? 

Because it commences with the same words which the Arch- 
angel Gabriel addressed to the Blessed Virgin when he an- 
nounced to her that she should be the Mother of God. 

Of what does the Ano-elic Salutation consist? 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 715 

1. Of the words of the Archangel Gabriel ; 2. Of the words 
of St. Elizabeth ; 3. Of words which have been added thereto 
by the Catholic Church. 

Which are the words of the Archangel Gabriel ? 

Hail (Mary), full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art 
thou among women. 

What is the meaning of these words? 

The words Hail Mary indicate that profound veneration for 
the Blessed Virgin which was felt by the Archangel Gabriel, 
and which we, in imitation of his example, ought also to cher- 
ish. The words fidl of grace remind us that God bestowed 
upon the Blessed Virgin greater graces than upon all men and 
angels together ; and that not for herself alone, but for us 
also; they therefore encourage us to pray to Mary with fer- 
vor and confidence, that by her powerful intercession she will 
obtain for us the graces necessary for our salvation. The Lord 
is with thee ; these words express the peculiar complacency 
with which God has regarded her ; on account of which he 
wrought in her special miracles of wisdom, omnipotence, and 
benignity. Let us rejoice with Mary over these prerogatives, 
and implore her to effort for us, that God may be with us also, 
to sustain us by his almightiness, to govern us by his wisdom, 
to incite us to all that is good by the fire of his infinite love. 
Finally, the words Blessed art thou among women, are as 
much as to say: Thou art the happiest of all women, since 
thou only, of them all, hast no stain of sin on thee ; thou art 
chosen to be the Mother of God ; thou shalt conceive him by 
the Holy Ghost, and shalt bring him forth without losing thy 
virginity. Thus it was that the angel saluted the Most Blessed 
Virgin, and yet there are men who are ashamed thus to salute 
Mary, and to give praise for the graces which God conferred 
upon her. What can this be but stupidity, ingratitude, and 
malice ? 

Which are the words of Elizabeth, and what do they signify ? 

And blessed is the fruit of thy womb / the word blessed is 
equivalent to praised. In saying these words, therefore, we 
desire that the fruit of Mary's womb, Jesus, may be wor- 
shipped and praised by all men. 



# 716 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Which are the words which the Catholic Church has added ? 

To the words Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, she has 
added Jesus, in order thereby to explain them, and to indicate 
that this prayer is to be offered in the name of Jesus. There- 
upon follow the words, " Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for 
us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen." 

What do these words mean ? 

With those words, Holy Mary, we apply to her who is full 
of grace, as our intercessor, and thereby are reminded to strive 
to imitate her holiness, if we would be sure of her intercession, 
and of being heard before God. We call her mother of God, 
because she brought forth Jesus, the Son of God. Thereby 
we at the same time remind her that she is our mother also, 
and pray her to care for us as a mother ; not as though we 
believed she could of herself help us, but with the design that 
she should offer to God her all-prevailing prayers for us; hence 
we say, pray for us, adding, sinners. By these words we re- 
mind Mary of our misery, and ourselves of our powerlessness 
for good, and of our guiltiness in the sight of God, praying her 
to procure for us the grace of God to do true penance, to ac- 
quire virtues, and to gain true peace, and that now, inas- 
much as at every moment, and throughout our whole life, we 
have so many dangers to meet, so many virtues to gain ; and 
at the hour of our death, that we may overcome the tempta- 
tions of the last decisive hour, and stand complete victors be- 
fore the throne of the eternal Judge. Amen, so may it be, is, 
as it were, to repeat and make stronger the whole prayer. 

Salutation to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. 

Hail Mary, full of grace ! I rejoice, and give joy to thee, 
that thou hast been chosen the mother of the Most High, and 
the queen of heaven and earth. With thee is the Father who 
begot, from all eternity, him whom thou didst bring forth as 
God-man in time ; with thee is the Son, whom thou didst bear 
in thy virginal womb ; with thee is the Holy Ghost, overshad- 
owed by whose power thou didst become the mother of the 
Redeemer of the world. Praised, therefore, be thou, thou 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 717 

blessed among women ; thou daughter of the Most High ; 
thou bride of the Holy Ghost ; thou joy of heaven ; thou or- 
nament of the Church of God; thou honor of Christians. Oh, 
pray God for us, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

[For the Feast of the Seven Dolors, see Part I.] 



iFeast of St. Cubgcms. 

ON WEDNESDAY AFTER THE SUNDAY JUBILATE. 

Sis Life. 

St. Ludgerus was born in the year 744, in East Friesland, 
of parents who were Christians and people of rank. For the 
sake of having him instructed in divine learning, they placed 
him under the charge of St. Gregory of Utrecht. In his 
twenty-second year he went to York, in England, and there 
attended, for several years, the lectures of the celebrated Al- 
cuin, to whom the Emperor Charlemagne afterwards gave the 
management of all the schools of his empire. When Charle- 
magne began war upon the heathen Saxons, because they were 
accustomed every year to break into France, plundering and 
murdering, Ludgerus returned to his country, and preached 
the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Holland and Friesland, until lie 
was banished by the pagan duke Wittekind. Charlemagne, 
having conquered him and deprived him of Friesland, called 
the saint from the monastery on Mount Cassino, to which he 
had retired, and committed to him the charge of the church 
of Mimigard. Ludgerus built the first Christian church that 
was built there, but he settled on the right bank of the river 
Aa, opposite Mimigard. Near the church he built a house, in 
which, with his priests, he lived a monastic life. Many of his 
converts built houses for themselves near the church, and thus 
commenced a new part of the city, which, from the monastery, 
was called Munster. In consequence, the old name disap- 



718 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

peared. In the year 793 St. Ludgerus erected the abbey ot 
Werden, which was destroyed in the Thirty Years' War, and 
invited thither the Benedictines for the education of youth. 
For ten years he continued to travel through the forests, 
preaching Jesus Christ. In these apostolic journeys, he went 
as far as the borders of Denmark. In the year 802, in obe- 
dience to the Archbishop of Cologne, he suffered himself to be 
consecrated the first bishop of Munster. The holy bishop, who 
was well versed in Holy Scripture, let no day pass without ex- 
plaining some passages thereof to his disciples. His body he 
mortified by severe fasting and constant watching. He wore 
a penitential garment of hair-cloth, which was first known 
after his death. If, sometimes, out of neighborly kindness, he 
ate flesh-meat, yet he never passed the limits of the most se- 
vere temperance. When obliged to be in company, he man- 
aged, with adroitness, to turn the conversation to spiritual 
things. What remained to him from his father's estate, and 
from the income of the cathedral, he spent in alms. He loved 
prayer so much that he was always recommending it to others. 
His activity ceased only with his years, as he feared nothing 
more than to be found idle by the Lord. On the last day of 
his life, March 25, 809, being Passion Sunday, he preached at 
Coesfeld at high mass, and then went six miles further to Bil- 
lerbeck. There he preached a second time, declared that he 
was about to die the next night, and designated the spot in 
the monastery of Werden where he wished to be buried. His 
prophecy was fulfilled at midnight, at which hour God called 
him to himself by a precious death. 

(For the Introit, see the Feast of St. Liborius, p. 787.) 



Prayer. 

O God, who hast sanctified this day by the festival of thy 
confessor and bishop, St. Ludgerus, graciously grant us that, 
while we rejoice in his merits, we may also be awakened by 
his exemplary life, and, through his intercession, obtain for- 
giveness and life everlasting. Through Jesus Christ. Amen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 719 

ixast of St. Stbalbert. 

APRIL 23. 

Sis Life. 

St. Adalbert was born in Bohemia, in the year 956, and was 
of a noble family. As soon as he had passed the years of child- 
hood, he was placed by his parents under the care of Adalbert, 
archbishop of Magdeburg, to be educated. He gave the youth, 
at confirmation, his own name, in place of that by which he had 
been hitherto known, and which was Woytiech — in the Scla- 
vonic, " trust of armies." Upon being chosen bishop of Prague, 
in the year 983, he divided his revenue into four parts; the 
first was devoted to the support of the Church, the second to 
the support of the canons, the third to the assistance of the 
poor, and the fourth to the wants of his house. In his room 
there was to be seen a common bed, although he did not use 
it, but slept upon a penitential garment, or upon the bare 
floor, and spent a part of the night in prayer. He preached 
and visited the sick every day. He was forced, however, to 
endure much trouble from the disorderly people, whom- he was 
compelled, on that account, to leave. He thereupon went to 
Italy to consult the Pope, John XV. "With his permission, he 
put on the Benedictine habit in the monastery of St. Boniface. 
Five years afterwards, the Pope, on the petition of the Duke 
of Bohemia, commanded him to return his flock. The citizens 
of Prague received him with joy, but were not long obedient 
to him. The saint thereupon took the resolution to leave them 
forever. On the way back to his convent, he preached the 
Gospel to the Hungarians. Pope Gregory V., successor to 
John XV., sent Adalbert once more to his diocese — the re- 
peated petitions of the Archbishop of Mayence having pre- 
vailed upon him to do this. The saint obeyed. On his way, 
he heard that the people of Prague had put to death, three of 
his brothers; he therefore went to Poland, to his friend Boles- 
laus, whom he begged to find out whether the Bohemians 
were disposed to receive him. The Bohemians answered the 



720 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ambassadors of the duke : " We are sinners ; he is a saint. 
Why does he ask about us, but to revenge the death of his 
brothers ? Let him remain where he is." The saint, seeing 
that the way to Prague was closed to him, put in practice a 
design which the Pope had approved, and preached the Gos- 
pel of Jesus Christ in Silesia and Poland. After three years, 
he left his brother Radzin in the archiepiscopal see of Gnesen, 
and, with two companions, Gaudentius and Benedict, jour- 
neyed to Prussia, upon which country the light of the faith 
had not yet risen. At Dantzic, his preaching was followed by 
happy results. He now wished to penetrate the interior of 
Prussia. In the first town at which he arrived, he was greeted 
with blows, and driven out again amid the greatest abuse. 
The like treatment he was obliged to submit to often. At 
Fischhausen, in the province of Samland, the idolatrous priest, 
Siggo, thrust a lance into his breast while he was saying Mass. 
Six other pagans also pierced him with their lances, and thus 
he completed his glorious martyrdom on April 23, 997. Duke 
Boleslaus ransomed the corpse of the saint, and deposited it in 
the abbey church at Tremezno. The following year it was 
brought to the cathedral church of Gnesen, where it was ex- 
posed for the public veneration of the faithful. God glorified 
his servant by many miracles. He is called the Apostle of 
Prussia. The Emperor Otho III. made a pilgrimage to his 
grave, in pursuance of a vow made by him in his sickness. 
Upon this occasion, he conferred upon the duke the title of 
king. In return he received an arm of the saint, which was 
afterwards brought to Rome, and came into possession of the 
church of St. Bartholomew, on the island of the Tiber. It 
not seldom happens, says Pope St. Gregory, that the most 
zealous bishops and servants of God sow the seed of the divine 
word without success, and that their labors and pains for the 
salvation of the souls committed to them are fruitless. But 
this is no detriment to the merits which they have laid up with 
God, or to the reward which is prepared for them. Both, in- 
deed, are the greater, in proportion as — by reason of the indo- 
cility of their people, and the ill success of their exertions — 
they have received the less consolation from the world. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 721 

(See the Intro-it of the Mass on the Feast of St. Valentine. 
The Gospel, the same as on the First Sunday after Easter.) 

Prayer. 

O God, grant that the holy bishop and martyr, Adalbert, 
may procure for us thy indulgence, that thou mayest grant 
ns forgiveness of our sins, and the benefits which we desire. 
Through Jesus Christ. 



least of St. (&cox$e. 

APEIL 23. 

His Life. 

St. George was a Christian prince of Cappadocia, and lived 
under the Emperor Diocletian. Upon the death of his father, 
he accompanied his mother to Palestine. The most widely 
known fact of his life is his having saved the life of a daughter 
of King Aja, by putting to death a dragon which was about 
to devour her. Diocletian esteemed him highly and offered 
him important commands in his army, which the Christian 
hero declined because this emperor was then commencing his 
persecution of Christianity. This occasioned his arrest and 
imprisonment; and as his courage and constancy in confessing 
himself a Christian could neither be overcome by flatteries, 
nor by threats, he was finally beheaded, April 23, a. d. 303. 
St. George is the patron of soldiers, and is commonly repre- 
sented as a knight on horseback killing a dragon under his 
feet, and bearing a white banner on which is a red cross. 

Introit of the Mass. Tlxou hast protected me, O God, from 
the assembly of the malignant; from the multitude of the 
workers of iniquity (Ps. lxiii.) Hear, God, my prayer, 
when I make supplication to thee ; deliver my soul from the 
fear of the enemy. Glory be to the Father. 
31 



722 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



Prayer. 

O God, who givest us joy by the merits and intercession of 
blessed George, mercifully grant that we, who implore thy 
benefits through him, may obtain them by the gift of thy 
grace. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (2 Tim. ii. 8-10 ; iii. 10-12.) 

Dearly beloved: Be mindful that the Lord Jesus Christ is risen 
again from, the dead, of the seed of David according to my gospel. 
"Wherein I labor even unto bands, as an evil doer: but the word of 
God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the 
elect, that they also may obtain the salvation, which is in Christ 
Jesus, with heavenly glory. But thou hast fully known my doctrine, 
manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, patience, persecu- 
tions, afflictions: such as came upon me at Antioch, at Iconium, and 
at Lystra: what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord 
delivered me. And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer 
persecution. 

Gospel. (John xv. 1-7.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: I am the true vine; and 
my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me, that beareth not 
fruit, he will take away: and every one that beareth fruit he will 
purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean by 
reason of the word, which I have spoken to you. Abide in me: and 
I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in 
the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; 
you the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same 
beareth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. If any one 
abide not in me : he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, 
and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he 
burnetii. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall 
ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 723 

feast of St. Mark tf)£ (Etwngelist. 

APRIL 25. 
His Life. 

Mark, or, with his full name, John Mark (Acts xii. 12), was 
the son of a certain Mary, of Jerusalem, in whose house the 
Apostles often assembled, and a relative of Barnabas. He 
seems to have been instructed in Christianity by St. Peter, by 
whom he is called son (l Pet. v. 13). Subsequently he accom 
panied St. Paul and Barnabas (Acts xii. 25 ; xiii. 5 ; xv. 37), 
on their apostolic journeys, and was the companion of St. Paul 
in his twice repeated imprisonment at Rome. There he ap- 
pears to have come into nearer communication with Peter, who 
was at that time at Rome with Paul, and by him was en- 
couraged to write the gospel which we possess under his name. 
That St. Mark labored under the direction of St. Peter is the 
opinion of all Christian antiquity, for he is commonly called 
the interpreter of St. Peter, the relator of his gospel. Of the 
remainder of St. Mark's life, no further particulars are known. 
According to St. Jerome, Eusebius, and the Greek and Latin 
Martyrologies, he suffered martyrdom at Alexandria. St. 
Mark preserves his clients from impenitent deaths. He is 
represented with a lion, denoting that royal dignity of Christ 
which the evangelist announced, and also, as some have sup- 
posed, referring to that solitude of which his gospel seems to 
speak, when it begins with the voice of one crying in the 
desert. 

The Introit of the Mass is, TJiou hast protected me, God 
from the assembly of the malignant, allehijah! from the mid 
tittide of the workers of iniquity, allehijah, allehijah (Ps. lxiii.) 
Hear, God, my prayer ivhen J make supplication to thee ; 
deliver my soul from the fear of the enemy. Glory be to the 
Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who didst exalt blessed Mark, thy evangelist, by the 
grace of preaching the Gospel, grant, we beseech thee, that 



724 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

we may ever profit by his erudition and be defended by his 
prayer. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Ezec. i. 10-14.) 

The likeness of the face of the four living creatures : the face of a 
man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four : and the 
face of an ox, on the left side of all the four : and the face of an eagle 
over all the four. And their faces, and their wings were stretched 
upward : two wings of every one were joined, and two covered their 
bodies : And every one of them went straight forward : whither the 
impulse of the spirit was to go, thither they went: and they turned 
not when they went. And as for the likeness of the living creatures, 
their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the 
appearance of lamps. This was the vision running to and fro in the 
midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, and lightning going forth 
from the fire. And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes 
of lightning. 

Gospel. (Luke x. 1-9.) 

At that time : The Lord appointed also other seventy-two : and he 
sent them two and two before his face into every city and place 
whither he himself was to come. And he said to them : The harvest 
indeed is great, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord 
of the harvest, that he send laborers into his harvest. Go : Behold I 
send you as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse nor scrip, nor 
shoes ; and salute no man by the way. Into whatsoever house you 
enter, first say: Peace be to this house: And if the son of peace be 
there, your peace shall rest upon him : but if not, it shall return to 
you. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things 
as they have. For the laborer is worthy of his hire. Remove not 
from house to house. And into what city soever you enter, and they 
receive you, eat such things as are set before you; and heal the sick 
that are therein, and say to them: The kingdom of God is come 
nigh unto you. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 725 

-feast of St. fl!}iiip anb St. James, Apostles. 

MAY 1. 

Life of St. Philip. 

Philip, born at Bethsaida, was one of the first followers of 
Jesus (John i. 43), and was chosen to be an Apostle (Luke vi. 
14). From the first he was a faithful and zealous disciple of 
Jesus, to whom he brought Nathaniel (John i. 45), and after- 
wards the Gentiles who desired to see Jesus (John xii. 20). 
Christ had great love for him, and sought, by repeated trials, 
to confirm him in faith and charity. After receiving the Holy 
Ghost he preached the Gospel in Scythia and Phrygia, con- 
verted great numbers to faith in Jesus, and finally, was first 
crucified, and then stoned, at Hierapolis, in Phrygia. Learn 
from Philip, after you yourself have found the truth, to seek, 
by word and example, to win others to Christ, particularly 
such as you may have led astray. 

Life of St. Lames. 

James, the son of Cleophas, called the lesser, or younger, to 
distinguish him from James the brother of John, on account 
of his sanctity called the Just, and on account of his near blood- 
relationship to Christ, called the brother of our Lord, was, 
with his brother Judas Thaddeus, chosen an Apostle in the 
second year of Christ's ministry. He was, from his youth, 
dedicated to God as a Nazarene, ate no flesh, drank no wine 
or strong drink, wore no shoes, and only coarse linen garments. 
In the holy place of the temple, which he was, on account of 
his sanctity, permitted to enter, he was almost continually pros- 
trate on his face and knees, in prayer for his people. The skin 
of his forehead and knees became, in consequence, as hard as 
the hide of a camel. When the Apostles dispersed themselves 
into all the word, they left him behind as first bishop (Gal. i. 
19; ii. 9 ; Acts xii. 17; xv. 13; xxi. 18). He wrought many 
miracles, converted many of the respectable Jews to the faith, 
and on account of his piety, solitary life, and beneficence, was 
held in such esteem, both by Jews and Gentiles, that they fell 



726 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

on their knees before him, and kissed his garments. But 
when, one day, being requested to preach against Christ, he 
publicly acknowledged him to be the Messias, in whom men 
were bound to believe, the Jewish priests became so enraged 
that they threw him down from a pinnacle of the temple, cast 
stones upon him, and finally killed him outright with a fuller's 
rod. Though half dead, and lying on the ground with broken 
bones, he yet prayed, " Lord, forgive them, for they know not 
what they do." We possess one epistle from him, in which he 
speaks particularly of the necessity of good works to salvation, 
and of extreme unction. He wrote, as he lived, full of zeal for 
practical Christianity. Learn from him, not only to believe, 
but to live according to your belief, and in particular, to re- 
quite good for evil. 

The Introit of the Mass is taken from 2 Esdras ix. In the 
time of their tribulation they cried to thee, Lord, and thou 
heardest them from heaven. Allelvjah, allelujah. Rejoice in 
the Lord, ye just / praise becometh the upright. Glory be to 
the Father. 

Prayer, 

O God, Avho givest us joy by the annual solemnity of thy 
Apostles Philip and James, grant, we beseech thee, that we 
may be instructed by the example of those in whose merits we 
rejoice. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Wisdom v. 1-5., 

The just shall stand with great constancy against those that have 
afflicted them, and taken away their labors. These seeing it, shall 
be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the suddenness 
of their unexpected salvation, saying within themselves, repenting, and 
groaning for anguish of spirit: These are they, whom we had some 
time in derision, and for a parable of reproach. We fools esteemed 
their life madness, and their end without honor. Behold how they 
are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the 
saints. 

Practice. 

On which side do we stand ? On that of those who deride, 
or of those who are derided ? Examine, and consider what 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 727 

the end will be. Are you derided ? Then rejoice, for glory 
awaits you. But are you of those who deride ? Take heed, 
lest, too late, you be sorry for your foolishness. 

Gospel. (John xiv. 1-13.) 

At that time Jesus said to his disciples : Let not your heart be 
troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's 
house there are many mansions. If not, I would have told you, that 
I go to prepare a place for you. And if I shall go, and prepare a 
place for you: I will come again, and will take you to myself, that 
where I am, you also may be. And whither I go you know, and the 
way you know. Thomas saith to him : Lord, we know not whither 
thou goest ; and how can we know the way ? Jesus saith to him : I 
am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the 
Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would without doubt 
have known my Father also : and from henceforth you shall know 
him, and you have seen him. Philip saith to him : Lord, show us the 
Father, and it is enough for us. Jesus saith to him : So long a time 
have I been with you, and have you not known me? Philip, he that 
seeth me, seeth the Father also. How sayest thou, show us the Father ? 
Do you not believe, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me ? 
The words that I speak to yon, I speak not of myself. But the Father 
who abideth in me, he doth the works. Believe you not that I am 
in the Father, and the Father in me? Otherwise believe for the very 
works' sake. Amen, amen, I say to you, he that believeth in me, the 
works that I do, he also shall do, and greater than these shall he do : 
because I go to the Father. And whatsoever you shall ask the Father 
in my name, that I will do. 

Why did Jesus say to his disciples, let not your heart be 
troubled ? 

He said this in order to give them consolation beforehand, 
so that they might not be downcast, or w T aver in their faith, in 
case the tribulations spoken of in the preceding discourse 
should actually come upon him and them. Thus it is, that God 
never fails to comfort those who suffer persecution for his sake. 

What is the meaning of those words, I go to prepare a place 
for you f 

That by his death, resurrection, and ascension he had opened 
for us the entrance into heaven, which our sins had closed 



728 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

against us. Christian, who lovest God, what a joyful thought ; 
Christ has gone before to make ready for you an eternity of 
happiness ! What is there now upon earth to distress you ? 
Is it persecution, or sickness, or death ? But see, all this can 
last but a little while, and your Lord will receive you as a 
faithful servant in the place which he has prepared for you. 

What is meant by the words I am the way, the truth, and 
the life f 

St. Bernard says, Christ is our way, in his holy doctrine and 
example, by following which we cannot go astray. He is the 
truth, in the fulfilment of the prophecies, in his mysteries, in 
his promises and threatenings, in his Gospel, and in his Church, 
for, as God, he cannot err, neither can he lie, or deceive ; 
finally, he is the life, in that, through his death, he has gained 
for us the life of grace and glory. 

Why does Christ say, If you had known me f 

Because, although they acknowledged him to be the Son of 
God — as Peter, in the name of all, had confessed — yet had they 
only most obscure conceptions of the three persons of the 
Most Holy Trinity, until they came to be enlightened through 
the Holy Ghost. Let us learn hence to make our knowledge 
of the truths of faith more and more perfect, and to this end 
let us pray God to guide us into all truth. 

Why did Christ say to Philip, He that hath seen me hath 
seen the Father f 

Because, although different from the Father in person, yet 
in nature and substance he is equal to him. Christ accordingly 
adds, that he is in the Father, and the Father in him. 

Aspiration to St. Philip, 

O St. Philip, chosen disciple of the Lord, who brought Na- 
thaniel to Christ, who most zealously preached thy Lord, Jesus 
Christ, and out of love to him, willingly gave thyself to be nailed 
to the cross, and put to death, obtain, I beseech thee, for me, 
and for all men, grace with zeal to bring others to the practice 
of good works, to have a great desire after God and his truths, 
and in hope of the eternal blissful contemplation of God, to 
bear patiently the adversities and miseries of this life. Amen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 729 

Aspiration to St. James. 

O St. James, who lived so temperately and strictly, who, 
like thy master, prayed so earnestly and constantly for thy tor- 
mentors, I beseech thee that thou wouldst procure us, from 
Jesus, grace, after thy example, to live sober and penitential 
lives, and to worship God in spirit and in truth. Obtain for 
us, therefore, the spirit with which thou didst write thine epis- 
tle, that we may follow thy doctrine, be diligent in good 
works, and, like thee, love and pray for our enemies. Amen. 

Brief Lessons from the Epistle of St. James. 

I. All the adversities of this life are to be regarded as graces 
from God, and to be borne with joy (chaps, i. and iii.) 

II. Faith without works is dead, and avails nothing towards 
salvation (chap, ii.) 

III. The religion of that man who does not govern his 
tongue is vain (chaps, i. and iii.) 

IV. All our misfortunes proceed from our inordinate and 
ungoverned passions (chap, iv.) 

V. The prayer of the just availeth much before God, and is 
the greatest consolation in sorrow (chap, v.) 



iFeast of tlje Indention of tl)c Ijoln dross. 

MAY 3. 

Why is this day so called ? 

Because on this day the Church celebrates the finding, by 
St. Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, of the cross 
on which Christ died, after it had been for a long time lost. 

Where had the holy cross been up to the time that it was 
thus found again ? 

At Jerusalem, near the holy sepulchre, hidden under a mass 

of rubbish. For the Emperor Adrian endeavored not only to 

desecrate the holy places of the death and burial of Jesus 

Christ, but also to hide the very knowledge of them. The 

31« 



730 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

cave of the holy sepulchre was filled up, and by the erection 
of a temple of Venus, which the Gentiles built over the spot, 
came to be quite lost sight of. 

How did Helena find the cross ? 

After the Emperor Constantine had successfully conquered 
his rival, Maxentius, by means of the holy cross, which ap- 
peared to him in the heavens, surrounded with a bright light, 
and decorated with the inscription, "In this sign conquer," he 
conceived such a veneration for the cross that he commanded 
it to be venerated throughout the whole Roman Empire, and 
forbade any one from that time forward to be crucified. He 
also resolved to build a splendid church at Jerusalem, in honor 
of the Holy Cross. St. Helena, who, at her very advanced age, 
had left Rome and gone to Palestine, undertook, with St. Ma- 
carius, bishop of Jerusalem, to search out the holy places, and 
was successful in discovering the sepulchre. Close at hand 
were found three crosses, the nails, and the inscription which 
had been set up over the cross. To ascertain the true cross, 
St. Macarius, after having directed prayers to be said by all, 
caused a woman who was mortally ill to be touched with the 
three crosses. The two first produced no effect, but the third 
caused her immediate restoration to health. The miracle was 
satisfactory evidence that this was the true cross. The nails and 
one portion of the cross Helena sent to her son, but another and 
a larger part, she caused to be set in gold and precious stones, 
and exposed to public veneration, in the magnificent church 
which she built at Jerusalem, on the spot where the cross was 
found. Of this Holy Cross various pieces have been distributed 
throughout the world, for the veneration of the holy instrument 
on which the Son of God accomplished our redemption, gained 
the victory over hell, and obtained for us all the graces of 
heaven. 

Introit of the Mass. But it behooves us to glory in the cross 
of our Lord, Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life, and 
resurrection, by whom loe are saved and delivered. Allelujah, 
allelujah (Gal. vi.) May God have mercy on us and bless us; 
run 11 he cause the light of his countenance to shine upon us, and 
may he hare mercy on us (Ps. lxvi.) Glory be to the Father. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS 731 

Prayer. 

God, who in the remarkable finding of the saving cross, 
didst revive the miracles of thy passion, grant that by the 
price of the wood of life, we may obtain the suffrages of life 
eternal. Who livest and reignest. 

Epistle. (Philippians ii. 5-11.) See Palm Sunday. 

Gospel. (John iii. 1-15.) 

At that time, there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicode- 
mus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night, and said 
to him : Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God : for 
no man can do these signs which thou dost, unless God be with him. 
Jesus answered, and said to him: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a 
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus 
saith to him: How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter 
a second time into his mother's womb, and be born again? Jesus 
answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of 
water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 
That which is born of the flesh is flesh : and that which is born of 
the Spirit, is spirit. Wonder not, that I said to thee, you must be 
born again. The Spirit breatheth where he will; and thou hearest 
his voice, but thou knowest not whence he cometh or whither he 
goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answer- 
ed, and said to him : How can these things be done? Jesus answered, 
and said to him : Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these 
things? Amen, amen, I say to thee, that we speak what we know, 
and we testify what we have seen, and you receive not our testimony. 
If I have spoken to you earthly things, and you believe not: how will 
you believe if I shall speak to you heavenly things? And no man 
hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the 
Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in 
the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up : that whosoever be- 
lieveth in hiin, may not perish, but may have life everlasting. 

What does this gospel teach us ? 

I. Xicodemus is desirous of salvation, and consequently of 
instruction. And how considerately did Jesus teach him! Be 
not ashamed, whatever your age or position, to seek instruc- 
tion in the truths of the Catholic faith. 



732 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

II. Nicodemus concluded from the miracles of Jesus, that 
he was sent from God — and rightly ; but have we not before 
us miracles still greater, which have lasted now eighteen hun- 
dred years, and which say to us, that the Church established 
by him is divine, and the only one that is true ? Let us then 
believe, and act according to our belief. 

III. Incomprehensible as regeneration is, it is equally neces- 
sary ; and that not only in baptism, as a sacrament, but also in 
all our thoughts and conduct. Are you regenerate ? Or do 
you merely join the name of a Christian to the practice of 
a heathen ? 

IV. Thus early Christ points to the cross as the sign of sal- 
vation and life. O Christian, hasten to it ; adore it, preserve 
it as your treasure, and by patiently bearing your daily cross, 
become like him who, on the cross, redeemed you. 

Salutation of the Church to the Holy Cross. 

O glorious and venerable cross ! O precious wood ! O won- 
derful sign, by which sin, the devil, and hell were overcome, 
and the world redeemed, through the blood of Christ, thou 
art exalted above all the cedars of the forest, for on thee hung 
the life of the world ! On thee Christ gained the victory, and 
by his dying overcame death forever. Allelujah. 

V. O Lord Jesus Christ, we adore and bless thee ; 

R. For through thy cross thou hast redeemed the world. 

Prayer. [See p. 731.] 

On the Veneration of the Holy Cross. 

Why is the cross of Christ held in so great veneration ? 

Because it is, 1. The altar on which he offered himself for 
us ; 2. The instrument with which he accomplished the work 
of our redemption ; 3. The victorious standard, sprinkled with 
his blood, under which the devil has been and will be defeated. 

Is it allowable to worship the cross of Christ ? 

]STo, for worship is due to God only ; and if the Church at 
times uses language in regard to the cross which indicates a 
kind of worship, as if attributing to it our salvation, such Ian- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 733 

guage evidently applies only to Christ, who, as the God-man, 
redeemed us by the cross. 

Which is the best way to venerate the cross of Christ ? 

1. To sign ourselves openly with the sign of the cross, and 
not to be ashamed to be taken for a worshipper of the cruci- 
fied. 2. To love the cross; that is, to bear patiently and joy- 
fully the afflictions sent from God, and thus, according to the 
teaching of Christ, to take up our cross daily and follow him 
(Luke ix. 23). 

Why are crosses set up on highways, and such like places ? 

To remind us continually of Christ and his sufferings, and 
to incite us to a thankful love, and continual union of our acts 
with his, according to the teachings of St. Paul. Looking on 
Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who having joy set be- 
fore him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now 
sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. xii. 2). 

Why is the cross publicly carried before processions ? 

To show before the whole world that Christ crucified is our 
God and our all, and that we, accordingly, are not ashamed of 
the cross, but rather, like St. Paul, glory in it. God forbid 
that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the 
world (Gal. vi. 14). 

Why do we sign ourselves with the sign of the cross? 

1. To testify that we are Christians, and worshippers of the 
crucified, and that we have no fellowship with the enemies of 
the cross of Christ ; 2. To profess our faith in the Most Holy 
Trinity ; 3. In honor and thankful remembrance of the suffer- 
ings and death of Christ ; 4. In order to overcome the devil 
and his temptations, inasmuch as he hates the cross, and is by 
nothing more easily driven away than by the sign of the cross. 
Hence it is that the Church prays, " By the sign of the cross, 
deliver us from our enemies, O Lord." 5. For the successful 
accomplishment of our undertakings, and that we may be pre- 
served from all evil, in soul and body. Whenever, therefore, 
temptations or any evil would hinder your good intentions, 
sign yourself with the sign of the cross, and you will surely 
have experience of its virtue. 



734: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Is it ;iii old custom to make the sign of the cross? 

The most ancient fathers of the Church make mention of 
this custom, and say that it came to them from the Apostles ; 
nay, they charge Christians to make the sign of the cross, at 
eating and drinking, at walking and rising, at sitting and speak- 
ing, and, in a word, before every undertaking. 

Why do we make the sign of the cross at the gospel, before 
sermon ? 

That by virtue of the cross, that is, by the merits of Christ 
crucified, God may give us grace, 1. To understand the gospel, 
and not be ashamed of it — in token of which we sign ourselves 
on the forehead ; 2. To confess it with the mouth, that Christ 
also may one day confess us before his heavenly Father — in 
token of which we sign ourselves on the mouth ; 3. To love it 
in heart, and to practice it in works — in token of which we 
sign ourselves on the breast. 

Why do the priests at the divine service make the sign of 
the cross over the people ? 

That therewith there may be imparted to Christians the 
abundant blessing of grace which Christ has obtained for us 
by his cross, as St. Paul says, JBlessed be the God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with spiritual 
blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. i. 3). A type of 
this custom was given by the patriarch Jacob, who blessed the 
two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasses, with crossed hands 
(Gen. xlviii. 14). This custom is of great antiquity in the 
Church. The Council of Agde, for example, in the year 500, 
directed that after prayers the people should be dismissed by 
the priest with a blessing. 

Prayer before a Crucifix. 

(A plenary indulgence is to be gained by every one who shall 
say this prayer before a crucifix, after having received Holy 
Communion.) 

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, while before 
thy face I humbly kneel, and with burning soul pray and be- 
seech thee to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 735 

hope, and charity, true contrition for my sins, and firm purpose 
of amendment ; the while I contemplate with great love and 
tender pity thy five wounds, pondering over them within me, 
while I call to mind the words which David thy prophet said 
of thee, my Jesus : They pierced my hands and feet ; they have 
numbered all my bones (Ps. xxi. 17, 18). 

Supplication before a Crucifix. 

O God, look upon the face of thy Son, who for our sake 
was obedient to thee, even unto the death upon the cross, and 
for the sake of his obedience, forgive us our disobedience. 
Behold, this high-priest has given himself to be slain upon the 
altar of the cross for our sins. Oh, remember not our trans- 
gressions, but have mercy upon us, who have been bought 
at such a price. 



iTeast of St. Sofyn Nepomncat. 

MAY 16. 
His Life. 

St. John Nepomucen took his surname from the village in 
Bohemia in which he was born, about the year 1330. His 
parents, who had been long without children, having through 
the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtained this 
child, called him John, as Zachary and Elizabeth did the son 
of their old age. While yet a boy he showed great piety ; to 
serve at Mass was a great pleasure to him. As he grew up his 
parents sent him to the Latin school, at Saaz, from whence he 
came to Prague. His progress there was so great that he was 
made a doctor of theology and of ecclesiastical law. His 
great merits as a preacher and pastor caused him to be ap- 
pointed, by the Archbishop of Prague, canon of his cathedral, 
and a preacher there. The whole city of Prague Hocked to 
his sermons. Wenceslaus himself, who on the death of his 
father, Charles IV., became king of Germany and Bohemia, 
was among his hearers. The queen, also, often attended his 



736 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

sermons and chose him for her confessor and director. While 
St. John was thus doing great good by his example, sermons, 
and advice, Wenceslaus was giving himself up to lust, drunken- 
ness, and cruelty. He who is bad himself thinks evil of others. 
Such suspicion carried the king so far that he sent for the saint 
and demanded from him that he should reveal what the queen 
had said to him in confession, promising him honors and favors 
if he would do so. John, indignant at such an outrage, with 
firm courage said to the king, "I would rather die a thousand 
deaths than comply with your demand." As he persisted in 
this refusal, he was thrown into a deep prison where, for three 
days and three nights, he suffered without food. Finally, he 
was placed upon the rack and tortured with burning torches. 
The servant of God did not open his mouth to complain ; only 
from time to time to invoke the names of Jesus and Mary. 
After great torture he was set free. He never made known 
the cruelty which he had endured, but as soon as he had re- 
covered commenced preaching to the people again. On the 
third Sunday after Easter he preached on the words of Jesus, 
A little while, and you shall not see me, and again a little 
while, and you shall see me, because I go to the Father, and 
spoke very plainly of his approaching death, which God had 
probably revealed to him. He soon after went to Old Bunzlaw, 
to visit an image of the Blessed Virgin, which was very much 
venerated by the people, perhaps to implore her powerful in- 
tercession against the impending danger. As he was return- 
ing, towards evening, to Prague, the king saw him from his 
palace, and at once summoned him to the royal presence. The 
holy priest obeyed; but hardly had he made his appearance 
before the king when he was pressed to reveal what he knew 
of the conscience of the queen, and threatened, if he refused, 
with being thrown into the river and drowned. The saint 
fearlessly gave the same answer which he had given before. The 
king, enraged thereat, commanded him to be thrown, with his 
hands and feet tied, into the Moldaw, which runs through the 
city of Prague, and his command was executed in the night. 
This happened on the vigil of Christ's ascension, in the year 
1383. But the Lord was about to make known the glory of 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 737 

his servant, for there appeared on the water an unusually 
bright light, in the form of many sparkling stars, which floated 
upon the river until it stopped above the place where the 
corpse Avas. He was buried in the cathedral, where God 
glorified him by many miracles. 

After more than three hundred years the corpse of the saint 
was disinterred, and his tongue was found in perfect preserva- 
tion ; and when, six years later, it was shown to the judges ap- 
pointed by the Apostolic See, at that very moment it swelled, 
and the dark-red color was changed to purple. Pope Bene- 
dict XIII. canonized him in the year 1729. He has been 
chosen as the particular patron of Bohemia. 

St. John Climacus says that God watches over his Church 
in regard to the secrets of confession. It is an unheard ol 
thing, says he, that sins were ever revealed from the judgment- 
seat of penance. God thus orders it, in order that the sinner 
may not be deterred from confession, and thereby lose the 
only hope of salvation. 

Introit of the Mass. The Lord had given me a tongue for 
my reward, allelujah, allelujah, and with it I will praise him 
(Ecclus. li. 50). I said, I will take heed to my ways, that ± 
sin not with my tongue (Ps. xxxviii. 1). Glory be to the 
Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, through the invincible silence of thy martyr John 
thou hast glorified thy Church with a new crown of martyr- 
dom ; grant us, through his intercession, that according to his 
example, we may govern our tongues, and one day be num- 
bered with the saints who have not sinned with their tongue, 
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

Epistle. (2 Tim. ii. 8-10 ; iii. 10-12.) 

Brethren: Be mindful that the Lord Jesus Christ is risen again 
from the dead, of the seed of David according to my gospel. Wherein 
I labor even unto bands, as an evil doer: but the word of God is not 
bound. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that 
they also may obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with 
heavenly glory. But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of 



738 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

life, purpose, faith, long-suffering:, love, patience, persecutions, .afflic- 
tions: such as came upon me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra: 
what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord delivered 
me. And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer perse- 
cution. 

Gospel. (Matt. x. 26-32.) 

At that time Jesus said to his disciples: Therefore fear them not. 
For nothing is covered that shall not be revealed: nor hid, that shall 
not be known. That which I tell you in the dark, speak ye in the 
light: and that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the house- 
tops. And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to 
kill the soul : but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body 
into hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and not one ot 
them shall fall on the ground without your Father. But the very 
hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore : better are 
you than many sparrows. Every one therefore that shall confess me 
before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in 
heaven. 



Jeast of St. Boniface. 

JUNE 5. 

His Life. 

St. Boniface, who was first called Winfred, was born of 
noble parents, at Kerton, England, in the year 680. lie is the 
Apostle of the Germans. Having devoted himself to learning, 
his desire was to enter the order of the Benedictines. But his 
lather refused his consent, until St. Boniface, during a severe 
illness, expressed his confidence of recovering if he were al- 
lowed to join the order. He accordingly became a Benedic- 
tine monk, and in his thirtieth year was ordained priest. In 
the year 719 he went to Rome, and received his mission from 
Pope Gregory II. He thereupon preached in Friesland, Hes- 
sia, Thuringia, and Bavaria. In the year 723 the Pope invited 
him to Rome, where he was consecrated bishop on the 8th 
November. Eight years after he received the title of arch- 
bishop, with the power of appointing bishops. In the course 
of time he founded the Bishoprics of Salzburg, Regcnsbuig, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 739 

Freysing, Eichstadt, Wurzburg, and others. As primate, he 
fixed his See at Mayence. He built various convents, as semi- 
naries for the formation of good priests; of these the most 
calebrated was Fulda, now a bishopric. St. Boniface did much 
to civilize the Germans ; he abolished slavery and the eating 
of horse-flesh, introduced the arts of reading and writing, 
and even occupied himself with correcting faults in the let- 
ters of the ecclesiastics. In the year 754 he returned to the 
Frieslanders. Foreseeing the approach of death, he caused 
a winding-sheet, and St. Ambrose's Treatise on the Advan- 
tage of Death, to be added to his baggage. This second mis- 
sion was as successful as the former one, for he converted 
many thousand idolaters. At this the obstinate unbelievers 
were exasperated, and resolved to take the life of him who 
sought only their salvation. The saint, after having baptized 
many persons on the vigil of Pentecost, appointed a certain 
day in the week on which to give them confirmation. As 
they could not all be in the church at once, he determined to 
confirm them in an open field. The servants of the archbishop 
seeing the approach of the irritated idolaters, with lances and 
swords, went out of their tents to repel them. St. Boniface, 
hearing the alarm, called the priests whom he had with him, 
took some relics which he always carried about him, went forth 
from his tent, and said to his people: "Children, cease fight- 
ing. The Holy Scripture teaches us not to retaliate evil for 
evil, but to render good for evil. The day has now come 
which I have long wished for ; have confidence in God, he will 
make us happy." Hereupon he admonished his priests, and 
all who were with him, to prepare courageously for martyr- 
dom. The unbelievers fell upon them, sword in hand, and 
killed them all. They then robbed the tents, and carried otf 
the boxes filled with books, expecting to find therein gold and 
silver. As, with this notion, they were about to divide their 
plunder, there sprang up among them a quarrel about it, which 
presently became so fierce that several of them were killed. 
The martyrdom of St. Boniface happened at Dokkum, in 
Friesland, on the 5th June, 755, forty years after his first visit 
to Germany, thirty-six years after his consecration, and in the 



HO INSTRUCTIONS ON 

seventy-fifth year of his age. Fifty-two persons were his com- 
panions in martyrdom. His body was deposited in the Abbey 
of Fulda, which he had founded in the year 746. In every 
century many miracles have been wrought by God over his 
mortal remains. 

St. Boniface hearing that Ethelbald, king of Mercia, dark- 
ened the splendor of his virtues by infamous impurity, and 
that his scandalous life found many followers, wrote to him in 
the strongest and most emphatic manner, to move him to pen- 
ance. " Remember," he said to him, " how disgraceful it is 
for you to sigh under the tyranny of a beastly passion, and by 
such baseness to offend a God who has given you the rule over 
such a powerful nation. Have mercy on your own soul, and 
on the souls of your subjects, for which you must one day give 
account." The saint being once asked whether it were lawful 
to say mass with wooden chalices, gave this answer : " For- 
merly the Church had golden priests who said mass with 
wooden chalices, but now she has wooden priests who say 
mass with golden chalices." 

Introit of the Mass. Let all thy works, God, praise thee, 
and let thy saints bless thee ; they shall speak of the glory of 
thy kingdom, and shall tell all thy power (Ps. cxliv. 10). Re- 
joice in the Lord, ye just / praise becometh the upright. 
Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who hast been pleased to lead many nations to the 
knowledge of thy name, through the zeal of thy blessed mar- 
tyr and bishop, Boniface, and his companions, graciously grant 
that we may be assured of the protection of those whose festi- 
val we this day commemorate. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Wisdom v. 1-5.) 

The just stand with great constancy against those that have afflicted 
them, and taken away their labors. These seeing it, shall be troubled 
with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the suddenness of their un- 
expected salvation, saying within themselves, repenting, and groaning 
fur anguish of spirit: These are they, whom we had some time in de- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 741 

risi<m, and for a parable of reproach. We fools esteemed their life 
madness, and their end without honor. Behold how they are num- 
bered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints. 

Gospel. (John xv. 5-11.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: I am the vine; you the 
branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much 
fruit: for without me you can do nothing. If any one abide not in 
me : he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they 
shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burnetii. If 
you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever 
you will, and it shall be done unto you. In this is my Father glori- 
fied; that you bring forth very much fruit, and become my disciples. 
As the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you. Abide in my 
love. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love ; 
as I also have kept my Father's commandments, and do abide in his 
love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, 
and your joy may be tilled. 

Why does Jesus call his Father the husbandman ? 

Because the Father had sent him into the world to teach, 
redeem, and sanctify men. 

Why does he call himself the vine ? 

Because, as the vine gives sap and nourishment to the 
branches, so also he, by his teaching and death, gives grace, 
life, nourishment, and strength to us, that we may follow his 
doctrine and attain to happiness. 

Why does he call his disciples the branches ? 

Because by his divine grace, and through faith in his doc- 
trine, he had united them most intimately with himself, had 
strengthened them to announce and confess the Gospel, and 
had forever joined them to himself in heaven. We also are 
branches of Jesus Christ, called to the knowledge of him. 
Would that we might always remain united with him ! 

Instruction on Grace. 

The grace of God, that is, the love and friendship of God, 
his assistance and consolation, is a gift, unmerited by us, which 
God grants us through the infinite merits of Jesus Christ. By 



742 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

original sin we were deprived of it, became subject to the wrath 
of God, and unable of ourselves to think or do any thing good. 
But Jesus, our Redeemer, has by his death obtained this grace 
for us once more ; he has reconciled us with himself, and justi- 
fied us ; and even should we have lost this grace through ac- 
tual sin, we may, through him, regain it by true penance. 
The Holy Ghost imparts it to us. The necessity of it Christ 
declares, when he says, Without me, without the assistance of 
my grace, you can do no good w r orks ; even as the branch 
cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine. St. Paul 
says that without grace we cannot even think a good thought. 
To will and to accomplish, God vjorketh in us according to his 
good will (Phil. ii. 13). Do we desire to be cleansed from sin ? 
It can only be done through the grace of God. Without it, 
no good work, no good thought is possible. I can do all 
things in him who gives me strength, says St. Paul. Who 
abideth in me, and I in him, will bring forth much fruit, says 
Christ ; that is, by grace enlightening our understanding and 
moving our will, we can both know the will of God and do 
the good which we perceive ; grace effects our sanctih* cation, 
and is therefore called sanctifying grace. Should it prove hard 
for us to avoid sin and practice virtue, we have only to call on 
our Father in heaven, through Jesus Christ, for grace, and he 
will certainly give it to us. But when he has given it to us, 
we must make use of it ; we must employ the means to good 
works, as the mechanic uses his tools and the farmer his imple- 
ments, so as to make some profit thereby. It is not sufficient 
to merely be a Christian, but it is also necessary to act as a 
Christian, and to do good. Every branch that beareth not 
fruit, that is, every one who does not become better and more 
devout, our Heavenly Father will exclude from the com- 
munion of the saints in heaven ; or, as Christ further says, If 
any one abide not in me, through active faith, he shall be cast 
forth as a branch, and shall icither, and they shall gather him 
up and cast him into the fire (John xv. 4). If we have the 
desire to profit by God's grace, he will purify us ; that is, he 
will assist us to do more and more such works as are good, 
pure, and pleasing to him, and for them he will abundantly 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 743 

reward us, because they have been done through him and for 
him. Let us therefore acknowledge our inability to do any 
thing good of ourselves ; let us continually ask God for the 
assistance of his powerful grace, and let us preserve our union 
with the vine, Jesus Christ ; then we shall make more and 
more progress in good works, increase our merits, and one 
day be forever happy in heaven. 



fzasl of Sis. bitus, illobestrts, Crescentia, JHartnrs. 

JUNE 15. 

Their Lives. 

Vitus and Modestus were from Sicily. Crescentia was the 
nurse of St. Vitus, and, with her husband Modestus, instructed 
him in the principles of the Christian faith, and infused into his 
mind the most fervent love of Jesus, and of purity of life. His 
pagan father, Hylas, having heard of this, with inhuman cruelty 
surrendered him to the governor of the province, Valerian, who 
saw himself at last overcome by the perseverance of a child. 
Crescentia and Modestus delivered him from the hands of his 
persecutors and fled with him to Italy, but they were apprehend- 
ed in Lukaria, and received the crown of martyrdom in the per- 
secution under Diocletian. St. Vitus is represented as a child 
with a wolf at his side, and sometimes with a book on which 
sits a bird, sometimes as boiled in a vessel of oil, sometimes 
with a cock at his side, a lion at his feet, and a palm in his 
hand, in allusion to his having been thrown before a lion which 
refused to harm him. Finally, he and his companions, Modes- 
tus and Crescentia, were most cruelly tortured till they expired 
under their sufferings. 

Introit of the Mass. Many are the afflictions of the jvst, 
and out of all these the Lord hath delicered them (Ps. xxxiii). 
Glory be to the Father. 



744 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



Prayer. 

Grant to thy Church, we beseech thee, O Lord, by the inter- 
cession of thy holy martyrs, Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia, 
not to be high-minded, but to render ourselves pleasing in thy 
sight by humility ; that, despising what is evil, we may with 
fervent charity practice those things which are right. Through 
our Lord. 

Epistle. (Wisdom iii. 1 -8.) 

The souls of the just are in the hands of God, and the torment of 
death shall not touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed 
to die: and their departure was taken for misery: and their going 
away from us, for utter destruction : but they are in peace. And 
though in the sight of men they suffered torments, their hope is full 
of immortality. Afflicted in few things, in many they shall be well 
rewarded: because God hath tried them, and found them worthy of 
himself. As gold in the furnace he hath proved them, and as a victim 
of a holocaust he hath received them, and in time there shall be 
respect had to them. The just shall shine, and shall run to and fro 
like sparks among the reeds. They shall judge nations, and rule over 
people, and their Lord shall reign forever. 



Gospel. (Luke x. 16-20.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples : He that heareth you, 
heareth me: and he that despiseth you, despiseth me. And he that 
despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me. And the seventy-two re- 
turned with joy, saving: Lord, the devils also are subject to us in thy 
name. And he said to them: I saw Satan like lightning falling from 
heaven. Behold, I have given you power to tread upon serpents and 
scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall 
hurt you. But yet rejoice not in this that spirits are subject unto 
you: but rejoice in this, that your names are written in heavon. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 745 

least of St, Benno. 

JUNE 16. 

His Life. 

Benno, born of a noble family of Hildesheim, in the year 
1010, was at the early age of five years intrusted to his rela- 
tive, St. Bernard, Bishop of Hildesheim, who committed him 
to the charge of the superior of a convent founded by him, 
under whose direction he made good progress both in virtue 
and in knowledge. In his eighteenth year he assumed the 
habit of St. Benedict, and was appointed, by the emperor 
Henry III. (who asked him of Pope Leo IX.), superior of the 
canons regular at Gorlan, where he educated many learned 
men. In the year 1066 he was made Bishop of Meissen. He 
had in many ways refused to be made bishop, and finally 
assented only at the earnest persuasion of Blessed Anno, 
Archbishop of Cologne. As bishop he was accustomed every 
year to visit his whole diocese, in order to correct whatever 
was amiss. Wherever he came he preached impressive ser- 
mons to the people, and exhorted them to a pious life. He 
was particularly occupied in the conversion of the Wendi, 
living near the Elbe. They had already been made acquainted 
with Christianity, but they first received the faith firmly under 
the teaching of St. Benno. During the unhappy quarrel be- 
tween the Emperor and the Pope, he was, without any fault of 
his own, removed from his flock and cast into a dungeon where 
he suffered for a whole year, with patience and resignation to 
the divine will. After that he returned to his Episcopal See. 
He built churches and introduced into the divine service a soul- 
elevating chant. Shortly before his death he admonished his 
priests to mutual love, and then, having received the holy 
sacraments with edification, gently fell asleep in the Lord, after 
he had been bishop forty years. God glorified his tomb by 
many miracles : while alive he had possessed the gift of pro- 
phecy. He was canonized by Pope Adrian VI., on the Feast 
of the Most Holy Trinity, in the year 1552. The inhabitants 
of his native country having, partly of their own choice, and 
32 



74:6 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

partly on compulsion, renounced the true Church of Christ, 
the pious princes of Bavaria caused the bones of the saint to 
be transferred to Munich, in the year 1576, in order that they 
might be preserved in becoming honor. St. Benno is the 
patron saint of Munich, and of all Bavaria. 

Prayer. 

O God, who protectest and defendest us through the glori- 
ous confession of the holy Bishop Benno, grant that by imita- 
ting his example we may increase in good works, and enjoy 
his protection. Through Christ. 



iFeast of St. ^kmsitts. 

JUNE 21. 

Sis Life. 

St. Aloysius was born on the 9th March, 1658, at Castiglione, 
a castle of his parents, Ferdinand, Marquis of Gonzaga, and 
Martha Santena his wife. His pious mother took care to lay 
early in the heart of her little son that foundation of the holy 
fear of God which is the beginning of all wisdom and of all 
virtue. Would that all parents might imitate this mother, and 
often bring to the minds of their children the words, " Children, 
fear God ; his eyes are upon you at all times, by day and by 
night : never attempt to do evil before the face of the Lord." 
The father of St. Aloysius, himself a brave soldier, designed to 
make his son a good soldier also ; to this end he furnished him 
with all kinds of small weapons for playthings, and even when 
the child was no more than seven years old, took him into 
camp, where Aloysius often heard from the soldiers unbecom- 
ing words and expressions, which he repeated after them, 
without knowing what he was doing. But when he was re- 
proved for this by his tutor, no one after that ever heard a bad 
word from his mouth, and during his whole lifetime he lamented 
and wept over this childish indiscretion as a great crime, Hav- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 747 

ing returned to the castle of his parents, by his quick obedi- 
ence he gave the greatest joy to his mother and tutor ; but he 
showed no further inclination to a soldier's life, and thought of 
nothing else than to devote himself entirely to the service of 
God. His father, observing this change, was displeased with 
him ; yet he consoled himself with the thought that his son, 
though he might not be a great general, might yet be distin- 
guished as a ruler over his people, and accordingly he sent him, 
with his brother Rudolf, to Florence, to make his studies there. 
There Aloysius, amid his tears, made a general confession ; 
and as he had a child-like veneration for the Virgin Mary, 
carried along by the ardor of his devotion, he made a vow of 
perpetual chastity in honor of the most pure and Immaculate 
Virgin. To this vow he was faithful till death. In the year 
1581 he received at the hands of the holy Archbishop of 
Milan, Charles Borromeo, his first communion, for which he 
prepared himself with the greatest care ; and from this time 
there was to be seen in him an ardent devotion towards the 
Blessed Sacrament of the altar, before which he often spent 
hours in meditation. From day to day he made more and 
more progress in the way of perfection, although in compliance 
with his father's wishes he spent some time, first at the court 
of the Duke of Mantua, and afterwards at the court of Philip 
II., King of Spain, where, true to his vow, he lived in angelic 
purity. Surrounded by the gay attendants of a court, his fear 
of God, his love of chastity, his distrust of himself, his confi- 
dence in Jesus and Mary, his frequent reception of the holy 
sacraments, and his persevering fervor in prayer, preserved 
him from every false step. His longing to consecrate himself 
entirely to God meantime grew stronger and stronger. He 
thought to find the accomplishment of his wish by joining 
some religious order; and as he was asking enlightenment 
from his mother Mary, and with that intention receiving holy 
communion on the day of her assumption into heaven, he dis- 
tinctly heard a voice which commanded him to enter the 
Society of Jesus, and to make this command at once known to 
his confessor. He examined the matter and encouraged Alov- 
sius in his resolution ; his mother also bade him God-speed ; but 



748 INSTRUCTION'S ON 

his father would not hearken to a word about this vocation of 
his son. For three years Aloysius endured his father's oppo- 
sition, until at last, overcome by the perseverance of his son, 
he gave his consent. The youth hastened with holy eagerness 
to the house of the Jesuits at Rome, after having first gladly 
given up to his brother Rudolf all the rights and titles to 
which he was heir. He began his novitiate in his eighteenth 
year, and by his punctual obedience, and by the practice of 
all virtues, soon surpassed all his fellow-novices. In the year 
1587 he made his vows and received the four minor orders, 
the grace of which incited him to press forward more zealously 
in the way of perfection. In the year 1591, the plague ap- 
pearing at Rome, Aloysius devoted himself chiefly to the 
poor sick, until, being himself seized with the epidemic, on the 
21st June, 1591, in the twenty-first year of his age, he died 
the death of the just. On the evening before his death, the 
provincial visited him to inquire how he was. With a joyful 
voice the holy youth, then dying, cried out, "Father, we are 
going, we are going !" "Whither?" asked his father. "To 
heaven, as I hope, through the mercy of God," was the answer 
of the saint. There, in heaven, St. Aloysius now shines as an 
angel of innocence. Happy will it be for you, if you imitate 
him ! Then you too shall receive an imperishable crown, like 
that which forever adorns the head of this holy youth. 

On the Following of St. Aloysius. 

For three hundred years St. Aloysius has received, in the 
Holy Catholic Church, the greatest veneration, as an example 
of innocence and purity, and innumerable are the graces ob- 
tained by those who have endeavored, with perseverance, to 
follow him. But particularly does Holy Church desire that 
the young should take this saint for their pattern ; for experi- 
ence has shown, that already many who have done this have 
been preserved from the corruption of the world, and kept 
their crown of virginal purity before the face of God. To this 
end young people of both sexes ought, every day, to recom- 
mend themselves to this holy youth ; like him, should cherish 
a childlike veneration for the most pure Virgin Mary, blessed 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 749 

above all ; like him, should press deep into their hearts a 
holy fear of God ; like him, should distrust themselves, fly all 
occasions of sin, control their senses, especially their eyes, re- 
ceive often the holy sacraments, and be persevering in prayer. 
At the same time they should not neglect to perform, every 
year, the six Sundays' devotion in honor of St. Aloysius. Pope 
Clement XII., in the years 1739 and 1740, approved this de- 
votion, and granted to* all who performed it a plenary indul- 
gence on each of the six Sundays. This devotion, which is 
intended both for single and for married persons, consists in 
this : that on each of six Sundays, in succession, one should ap- 
proach with contrition the holy sacraments of penance and of 
the altar, should on each of these Sundays select some particu- 
lar virtue of St. Aloysius for meditation and imitation, and each 
time, after confession and communion, should say the prayers 
for obtaining an indulgence, and six times Our Father, Hail 
Mary, and Glory be to the Father, in commemoration of the 
six years which St. Aloysius spent in religion. But this indul- 
gence of the six Sundays is to be gained but once a year. 

Introit of the Mass. Thou hast made him. a little lower than 
the angels ; thou hast crowned him with glory and honor 
(Ps. viii.) 

Prayer. 
O God, the distributer of heavenly gifts, who in the angelic 
youth Aloysius didst unite a wonderful innocence of life with 
:iii equally wonderful penance, grant, through his merits and 
prayers, that we, who have not followed him in innocence, 
may imitate him in penance. Through Christ, our Lord. 

Epistle. (Ecclus. xxxi. 8-11.) 

Blessed is the man that is found without blemish : and that hath 
not gone after gold, nor put his trust in money nor in treasures. Who 
is he, and we will praise him? for he hath done wonderful things in 
his life. Who hath been tried thereby, and made perfect, he shall 
have glory everlasting. He that could have transgressed, and hath 
not transgressed : and could do evil things, and hath not done them : 
Therefore are his goods established in the Lord. 



750 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Gospel. (Matt. xxii. 29-40.) 

At that time, Jesus answering, said to the Sadducees : You err, not 
knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrec- 
tion they shall neither marry nor be married: but shall be as the 
Angels of God in heaven. And concerning the resurrection of the 
dead, have you not read that which was spoken by God saying to you : 
I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of 
Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. And the 
multitudes hearing it, were in admiration at his doctrine. But the 
Pharisees hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, came together : 
And one of them, a doctor of the law, asked him, tempting him : 
Master, which is the great commandment in the law ? Jesus said 
to him : Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, 
and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the great- 
est and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: Thou 
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments de- 
pendeth the whole law and the prophets. 



Natimtn of 0t. 1 ol)tt tl)e jBaptist. 

TUNE 24. 

His Life. 

St. John could not have had any greater panegyrist than 
Jesus Christ himself, who calls him at one time an angel (Matt, 
xi. 10), at another a prophet (Luke vii. 28), and at another a 
burning and shining light (John v. 35). There hath not risen, 
says he (Matt. xi. 11), among them that are born of women 
(in the natural manner), a greater than John the Baptist. Like 
Isaias, he was chosen to be a preacher of penance and a herald 
of the Messias. The Lord therefore made him great, even 
from hte mother's womb, by causing his birth to be foretold 
by an angel, by giving him his name, and by sanctifying him 
while yet in his mother's womb, through the presence of 
Christ. To escape from the world and its allurements, and in 
order to prepare himself for his important office, he withdrew 
to the desert, and lived there the life of an angel, occupying 
himself only with God and with what concerned his vocation. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 751 

His food was locusts aud wild honey ; his clothing a garment 
of camel's hair, fastened by a leathern girdle ; his bed, the hard 
ground. Thus he lived till his thirtieth year, in which, by the 
command of God, he was to proclaim the coming of the Mes- 
sias, whom he himself afterwards baptized and p6inted out to 
men as the Lamb of God. With extraordinary zeal and earn- 
estness he preached the necessity of true penance. By his 
warnings, by his threats of divine punishment, and by his ex- 
ample, he pierced, as it were, with swords and arrows, the 
hearts of his hearers, and aroused them to prepare, by true 
penance, to receive the gi'ace which was to come through the 
Messias. His holy zeal having impelled him earnestly to re- 
prove Herod for his unlawful connection with his brother's 
wife, he was by him thrown into prison, and finally, at the in- 
stigation of Herodius, beheaded. Thus this servant of God 
closed the course of his life, leaving all men the most beautiful 
example of innocence and heroic zeal for the salvation of souls. 
Let us learn from John to practice penance, whether we are 
innocent or guilty. For from the days of John the kingdom 
of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away. 

We celebrate the day of his birth rather than of his death, 
as is the case on most saints' days, because, while other saints 
arrive at sanctity only through long and difficult contests, 
John was already sanctified in his mother's womb. His birth 
was particularly mentioned in the Gospel, and distinguished 
by miracles, and that day was one of special joy, as being the 
day on which the light of truth began to rise. 

The Introit of the Mass is taken from Isaias, chap. xlix. 
TJie Lord hath called me by my name, from the womb of my 
mother, and hath made my mouth like a sharp sword y in the 
shadow of his hand he hath protected me, and hath made me 
as a chosen awow. It is good to give praise to the Lord, 
and to sing to thy name, 3fost High. Glory be to the 
Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who, by the birth of John, hast made this day 
worthy to be honored by us, grant to thy people the grace of 



752 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

spiritual joys, and guide the minds of all the faithful in the 
way of eternal salvation. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Isaias xlix. 1-3 and 5-7.) 

Give ear, ye islands, and hearken, ye people from afar. The Lord 
hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother he 
hath been mindful of my name. And he hath made my mouth like 
a sharp sword: in the shadow of his hand he hath protected me, and 
hath made me as a chosen arrow: in his quiver he hath hidden me. 
And he said to me : Thou art my servant Israel, for in thee will I 
glory. And now saith the Lord, that formed me from the womb to 
be his servant, that I may bring back Jacob unto him, and Israel will 
not be gathered together: and I am glorified in the eyes of the Lord, 
and my God is made my strength. And he said: It is a small thing 
that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and 
convert the dregs of Israel. Behold I have given thee to be the light 
of the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation even to the farthest 
part of the earth. Thus saith the Lord, the redeemer of Israel, his 
holy One, to the soul that is despised, to the nation that is abhorred, 
to the servant of rulers : Kings shall see, and princes shall rise up 
and adore for the Lord's sake, because he is faithful, and for the holy 
One of Israel, who hath chosen thee. 

Note. — This prophecy refers, it is true, to Christ, whom 
God has made the head, teacher, ruler, and salvation of all 
nations. The greater part of it, however, may be applied to 
St. John, as is evident from his life. 

Gospel. (Luke i. 57-68.) 

Elizabeth's full time of being delivered was come, and she brought 
forth a son. And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had 
showed his great mercy towards her, and they congratulated with 
her. And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to cir- 
cumcise the child, and they called him by his father's name, Zachary. 
And his mother answering, said: Not so, but he shall be called John. 
And they said to her : There is none of thy kindred that is called by 
this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have 
him called. And demanding a writing-table, he wrote, saying: John 
is his name. And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth 
was opened, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And 
fear came upon all their neighbors ; and all these things were noised 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 753 

abroad over all the bill-country of Judea: And all the}' that had 
heard them laid thera up in their heart, saying: What an one, think 
ye, shall this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him. 
And Zachary, his father, was filled with the H0I3- Ghost: and he 
prophesied, saying : Blessed be the Lord God of Israel : because he 
hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people. 

Brief Lessons. 

I. Zachary and Elizabeth at their already advanced age had 
no child, but they bore with patience their childlessness, which, 
among the Jews, was reckoned a reproach. Hence married 
persons without children should learn that, although they may 
pray to God for children, they should leave the granting of 
their petition with resignation to him. For many married per- 
sons, who would bring up children badly, and thereby ruin 
both their children and themselves, and for others, whose chil- 
dren after the most careful training would prove degenerate, 
is it not a mercy if God gives them no offspring ? And when 
such would be the case is surely known to Him who knows all 
things. 

II. The neighbors and kinsfolk of Elizabeth rejoiced with 
her at her happiness, and gave her joy. We too, in like man- 
ner, should be glad when any thing good happens to our neigh- 
bor, and thank and praise God therefor. For thus we become 
partakers in the happiness of others; whereas, by envy and 
grudging, we make ourselves miserable for time and eternity. 

III. The name John, which signifies favored by God, was 
given to the child by God himself, and it was the constant en- 
deavor of John to make his life answer to his name. We re- 
ceive from the Church, in holy baptism, the name of some 
saint, that we may follow our patron saint in virtue. Let us 
strive, therefore, to correspond with this intention. 

IV. Because Zachary would not believe the announcement 
of the angel, he became dumb ; but when he believed, his 
tongue was loosened. Thus the Lord often punishes even the 
pious ; but sooner or later he heals their wounds. So, too, he 
punishes sinners ; but when they return into themselves, and 
change their lives, he either removes from them their punish- 

32* 



754 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ment, or gives them grace to bear it longer, for the sake of 
making greater satisfaction. 

V. Zachary openly and publicly praised God for the favor 
he had obtained. Woe to those who bury in forgetfulness the 
benefits received from God, and render no thanks therefor. 
Can they hope to receive still more ? No ; for the hope of the 
unthankful shall melt aioay as the winters ice (Ecclus. xvi. 29). 

VI. What a one shall this child be ? Fathers and mothers, 
often ask yourselves this question : What can, what ought to 
become of my children, considering the teaching, the example, 
the training that I give them? and then govern your con 
duct accordingly. 

Prayer to St. John. 

St. John, blessed forerunner of Jesus Christ, mirror ot 
true penance, burning and shining light, who by thy teaching 
and example didst show to men the way to Christ, I beseech 
thee, by thy penitential life, that thou wouldst obtain for me, 
from him whom thou didst point out as the Lamb of God that 
taketh away the sins of the world, grace, that fearing God's 
wrath against the impenitent, I may at last do true penance 
for my sins, mortify my sinful flesh according to thy example, 
serve God in purity and sanctity, and finally, in the land of 
eternal happiness, follow forever the Lamb who on the altar of 
the cross was slain for me. Amen. 



JFeast of St. fleter anb St. $aul, ^postke. 

JUNE 29. 

Life of St. Peter the Apostle. 

Peter, formerly called Simon, was a son of Jonas of Beth- 
saida, in Galilee, and a brother of Andrew, by whom he was 
brought to Christ, who at once changed his name and called 
him Peter. When, soon after, Jesus said to both of them on 
the sea of Tiberias, " Follow me, and I will make you fishers 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 755 

of men," they both left their nets and followed him. From 
this time forward, Jesus was constantly giving him particular 
proofs of his love. From the ship of Peter lie taught the 
thronging multitude, and to him he promised, that on him, as 
upon a rock, he would build his Church, against which the 
gates of hell should not prevail. Our Lord took Peter with 
him at the raising of Jairus' daughter from the dead ; at his 
own transfiguration on Mount Thabor ; at the beginning of his 
passion in the garden of Gethsemani. To him he promised 
the keys of the kingdom of heaven ; for him he specially 
prayed that his faith might not fail ; and him he commanded 
to strengthen his brethren. After his resurrection he ap- 
peared particularly to Peter, and three times commanded him 
to feed his flock. But Peter had, above all the other Apos- 
tles, made himself worthy of this pre-eminence, by his living 
faith, his humility, his love, and his zeal for the honor of Jesus ; 
for he it was who, before the other Apostles, made the confes- 
sion, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. He showed his 
humility when, on taking a great multitude of fishes, he said, 
Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord. Out of 
love he desired to remain always with Christ on Mount Thabor, 
to prevent him from suffering ; and out of love he declared 
himself ready with Christ to live or die; nay, he even declared 
most confidently, that though all should be scandalized in 
Christ, yet he would not be. When Jesus was taken prisoner, 
Peter showed himself to be most courageous by cutting off the 
ear of one of his Master's enemies, and by following him to 
the house of Caiphas. Three times, indeed, did he, as no one 
else did, deny his Lord out of fear; but the look of forgiving 
love which Jesus cast upon him, forced from him tears of the 
deepest contrition, and three times afterwards, accordingly, he 
made that confession, Lord, thou Jcnowest that Llove thee. 

After he had received the Holy Ghost, full of courage, he 
confessed Christ crucified, and preached him in Pontus, Gala- 
tia, Cappadocia, Ionia, and Bithynia. At Jerusalem he was 
once already condemned to death, but was set free by an an- 
gel. In the year 54 he went to Rome, whence, after a nine 
years' residence, he was banished, with many other Christians. 



756 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Upon returning thither again he was confined in the Mamer- 
tine prison, and finally, on June 29, in the year a. d. 66, under 
the emperor Nero, he was crucified ; his head, by his own de- 
sire, hung downwards, because he thought himself unworthy 
to die like Christ. 

Let us honor Peter, the rock of the Church, in his succes- 
sors, the Popes of Rome. Let us strive to make amends for 
our sins by such penance as his. 

Prayer to St. Peter. 

O God, who of a poor fisherman made St. Peter to be the 
prince of the Apostles and the head of the Church, we beseech 
thee, through his intercession, that thou wouldst make us true 
sheep of thy fold. Grant us, therefore, to hear his voice, to 
follow his doctrine, to tread in his footsteps, that we may come 
to the heavenly pasture, where the Chief Shepherd, Jesus 
Christ, shall feast his elect forever with the blessed vision of 
God, and with joys unutterable. Amen. 

Life of St. Paul, Apostle. 

Paul, before his conversion called Saul, was of the tribe of 
Benjamin, a native of Tarsus in Cilicia, and a pupil of Gama- 
liel. Full of zeal for the law, he bitterly opposed the Chris- 
tians. As he was travelling to Damascus to persecute them, 
he was, on the way, converted by Christ. How indefatigably 
he thenceforward worked in the vineyard of the Lord, and 
what dangers and persecutions he underwent, no pen can de- 
scribe. It is almost incredible with what zeal and perseverance 
he preached Christ, in chains and fetters, under blows and 
scourges, in hunger and thirst, and untold times at the peril of 
his life. And yet he was so humble that he counted himself 
the least of the Apostles, and always praised God that he had 
thought him worthy to suffer for his name. After he had at 
last fought a good fight, and finished his course — having every- 
where zealously preached the Gospel, and still more zealously 
practised it — he received the crown of justice (2 Tit. iv. 7). 
The emperor Nero caused him to be beheaded on the same 
day on which Peter was crucified. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 757 

Prayer to St. Paul. 
Thou chosen vessel, St. Paul, who didst bear the name of 
Jesus before Gentiles and before kings, who didst suffer so 
much for him, and who didst not permit thyself to be by any 
thing separated from his love, and didst therefore receive from 
God the crown of justice, oh pray for me, that I, who by my 
sins and passions am a vessel of wrath and dishonor, may, by 
my zeal for virtue, become henceforth a vessel of honor; pro- 
cure for me grace, that I may earnestly and unsparingly fight 
against the enemies of my salvation with the sword of God's 
word, and never suffer any trial or adversity to separate me 
from the love of Jesus ; that having fought a good fight, I may 
receive, with thee, the crown of justice. 

The Introit of the Mass consists of the words spoken by St. 
Peter after having been delivered from the prison at Jerusa- 
lem. Now I know in very deed that the Lord hath sent his 
angel and hath delivered me out of the hands of Herod, and 
from all the expectation of the people of the Jews (Acts xii. 
11). Lord, thou hast proved me and known me / thou hast 
known my sitting down and my rising up. Glory be to the 
Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who hast consecrated this day by the martyrdom of 
thy Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, grant to thy Church, in 
all things, to follow their doctrines, through whom the true 
faith was first proclaimed. Through Christ. 

Epistle. (Acts xii. 1-11.) 

In those days: Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to afflict 
some of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with 
the sword. And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to 
take up Peter also. Now it was in the days of the Azyrnes. And 
when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison, delivering 
him to four files of soldiers to be kept, intending after the pasch to 
bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison. 
But prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto God for 
him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same 



758 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two 
chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And be- 
hold, an Angel of the Lord stood by him : and a light shined in the 
room : and he striking Peter on the side raised him up, saying: Arise 
quickly. And the chains fell off from his hands. And the Angel said 
to him : Gird thyself, and put on thy sandals. And he did so. And 
he said to him : Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And 
going out he followed him, and he knew not that it was true which 
was done by the Angel : but thought he saw a vision. And passing 
through the first and the second ward, they came to the iron gate that 
leadeth to the city, which of itself opened to them. And going out, 
they passed on through one street : and immediately the Angel de- 
parted from him. And Peter coming to himself, said: Now I know 
in very deed that the Lord hath sent his Angel, and hath delivered 
me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the 
people of the Jews. 

Brief .Lessons. 

I. Herod, a nephew of Herod the Great, under whom Christ 
was born, a zealous Jew, persecuted the Christians, and accord- 
ingly caused St. Peter to be imprisoned, intending, after 
Easter, to have him put to death publicly, in order to furnish 
a spectacle for the immense multitude at that time assembled 
at Jerusalem. What infamy ! to do evil, and even to put men 
to death, to please others and to gratify their evil passions. 
Have you never done the like ? 

II. The Church prayed to God without ceasing, for Peter, 
and her prayer was heard. So will the common prayer of the 
Church gain a hearing. Let us pray, therefore, for one another, 
that God may deliver us from our enemies and free us from 
the chains of sin. Are not these chains heavier and more dis- 
graceful than those of St. Peter? 

III. Peter slept quietly in prison, for he was imprisoned, not 
for any misdeed, but for preaching the cross of Christ, and he 
therefore committed his life and death to God. So it is with 
him who suffers innocently ; although he feels the pressure of 
his sufferings, he is always of good courage, because he con- 
fides in God, who never forgets or forsakes his own. 

IV. Tims all the designs of the enemies of the Church were 
defeated, and her Head wonderfully defended her against the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 759 

first attacks of hell. The enemies of the Catholic Church may 
oppress and persecute her, and subject her ministers and chil- 
dren to insult and death, but to prevail against her — no, that 
they will never be able to do. God will deliver and protect 
his spouse ; and, should it be necessary, will send an angel from 
heaven. Never despair, therefore, O child of the Catholic 
Church. 

Gospel. (Matt. xvi. 13-19.) 

At that time, Jesus came into the quarters of Cesarea Philippi : 
and he asked his disciples, saying : Whom do men say that the Son of 
man is ? But they said : Some John the Baptist, and other some 
Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to 
them : But whom do you say that I am ? Simon Peter answered and 
said : Thou art Christ the Son of the living God. And Jesus answer- 
ing, said to him : Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona : hecause flesh 
and blood hath not revealed it to thee, hut my Father who is in 
heaven. And I say to thee : That thou art Peter ; and upon this 
rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail 
against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heav- 
en. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth it shall be bound 
also in heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be 
loosed also in heaven. 

Why did Christ ask his disciples, Whom do men say that 
the Son of man is f 

To give them an opportunity to confess their belief in him 
as the true Son of God, and upon that open confession to 
ground a promise of the highest importance. This question 
contains, besides, other lessons. It shows that though we 
should not be anxious as to what people say of us, yet neither 
should we be indifferent. When they speak evil of us, if with 
cause, we ought to endeavor to correct the evil ; if without 
cause, we must console ourselves that we have a good con- 
science ; but when they speak well of us, oh, then we should 
strive to be good, and to continue good ; nay, continually to 
become better. That Jesus asked what the people, and not 
what the Pharisees said of him, shows that to learn the truth 
concerning any person, we ought not to inquire of his ene- 
mies. 



TOO INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Why does Christ call himself the Son of man ? 

It was in order that, his Godhead being veiled under the 
form of man, he might thus test the faith of his disciples, and 
teach us that he was both true God and true man. This belief 
is as necessary to our salvation, as it was necessary to our re- 
demption that Christ should be not only God, but man also. 
As God alone he could not have suffered, and therefore could 
not have made satisfaction for us ; but had he suffered as man 
only, there could have been no perfect and sufficient satisfac- 
tion. 

What did Peter mean to say by those words, thou art 
Christ, the Son of the living God f 

He thereby confesses that Christ is the Son of God, begotten 
from all eternity, and therefore of the same substance with the 
Father ; that by him all things were made, and that from him 
comes our life, in soul and body. O divine Saviour, thou who 
art my life, grant that I, a feeble creature, may forever re- 
main united to thee. 

How did Peter know that Christ was the Son of God ? 

Christ says that Peter knew this through divine inspiration, 
and not by human reasoning. Faith is a gift of God and a 
divine light, illumined by which man believes what God has 
revealed, not because he comprehends it by reason, but because 
God has said it. 

What reward did Peter receive for his confession ? 

Christ pronounced him blessed that God had given him such 
grace, conveyed to him the highest authority in his Church, 
and gave him the pre-eminence above all the Apostles, by 
promising him that upon him, as upon a rock, he would build 
his Church, against which the gates of hell should not prevail, 
and that he would give him the keys of the kingdom of heaven. 
So pleasing and meritorious in the sight of God is humble and 
living faith. 

What is the meaning of the expressions, the keys of the king- 
dom of heaven, and to bind and to loose f 

Tlie keys of heaven, according to the usage of the language 
of the East, are an emblem of the chief power (Isaias xxii. 22). 
By giving to Peter, therefore, the keys of the kingdom of 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 761 

heaven, Jesus invested him with the supreme power in his 
Church. 

The expression, to bind and to loose, according to Isaias, 
signifies to open and to shut heaven, and here consequently de- 
denotes the power, as representative of Jesus Christ, to receive 
persons into the Church, and to excommunicate them from it ; 
to forgive sins, or to retain them ; to impose or to remit pun- 
ishments for them; to establish laws and prohibitions, to 
abolish them, to change them, and, in general, to govern and 
direct in every thing, as shall be necessary for the preservation 
of unity and order in the Church, and for the good of the 
faithful. 

Was the power to bind and to loose given to Peter only ? 

No, but to the rest of the Apostles also ; the power of the 
keys, however, Jesus gave only to Peter. Peter, therefore, 
and his successors, possess this supreme power, while the other 
Apostles and their successors, the bishops, possess the au- 
thority intrusted to them by Christ, to be exercised by them 
in unity with the rock. 

Aspiration 

O Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, who hast built thy 
Church on St. Peter, as on a rock, who hast confided to him 
the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and constituted him and 
his successors thy representatives upon earth, grant us thy 
grace, that in all the laws we may obey them as thyself, that, 
resting upon the rock of truth, w T e may be immovable in all 
storms, and steadfastly persevere in the way of good works. 

Of the Pope. 

What is the Pope to the Catholic ? 

The representative of Jesus Christ, and the visible head, 
appointed by him, for the government of his Church. 

Did Christ actually appoint such a supreme head ? 

Yes, and that in the person of St. Peter. He gave him the 
significant name, Peter — the rock ; distinguished him always 
above the other Apostles — on which account the evangelists 



762 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

name him. always before the rest (Matt. x. 2; Mark iii. 16; 
Luke vi. 14) ; to him, and to him only, promised to make him 
the rock of his Church, and to give him the keys of the king- 
dom of heaven, that is, the fulness of power for governing his 
Church; and finally, before ascending to heaven, in fulfilment 
of this promise, laid upon him the charge to feed his lambs, 
that is, the faithful, and his sheep, that is, the bishops them- 
selves ; and this power Peter uniformly exercised. He pre- 
sided over the council on occasion of the choosing of Matthias; 
and at the council of Jerusalem, took precedence of all the 
others, and gave the final decision (Acts xv. *7). 

Why did Christ appoint a visible head for the Church ? 

It might be enough for us to know that he had actually ap- 
pointed such a head, but the appointment itself arises so 
plainly from the nature of things, that we may easily see the 
wisdom of it, unless we wilfully shut our eyes. The Church is 
an outward, visible society, united together not only by inward 
faith in Christ, but also by outward, visible signs. As such a 
visible head is as necessary for the Church as for a body, a~ 
family, a society, a state, to prevent disunion, confusion, and 
the consequent destruction of the whole, this supreme head 
is the centre of the whole, the final judge, the authoritative 
teacher. Thus only can order, unity, harmony subsist, and 
schisms, heresies, and their consequences, be prevented. Hence 
St. Jerome says, " For this reason one from among the twelve 
was chosen, that by the appointment of a head the occasion of 
disunions might be removed." 

For how long time did Christ give a head to his Church ? 

Without doubt for so long as should be necessary ; but a 
head must be necessary so long as men are men, subject to 
error, carried away by passion, and inclined to disunion and 
separation ; that is, till the end of time. 

Who is now this supreme head ? 

The Bishop of Rome, or the Pope. It is undeniable that 
Peter occupied the bishop's see at Rome, and that he died 
there. Equally indisputable is it, that the successor of St. 
Peter entered upon possession of His rights, and, together with 
the Episcopal See of Rome, inherited also the office possessed 



THE EPISTLES ANT) GOSPELS. 763 

by him. From the first centuries this lias ever been ac- 
knowledged by the faithful, who have accordingly called the 
Bishop of Rome, Pope — that is, the father of the faithful. 
And how clearly does history show that Peter and his suc- 
cessors are the rock, upon which the Lord has immovably 
founded his Church ! What storms have not broken upon 
the Church ! Persecutions from without and within, here- 
sies and schisms without number, and infidelity in its most 
hideous form, have raged against the Church, and what has 
been the consequence? Xations have often fallen away from 
the Church, single bishops have proved betrayers of their 
flocks, the Sees of the Apostles themselves have been subject 
to the vicissitudes of time. And amid all these storms, 
Rome alone has, for over eighteen hundred years, stood firm. 
She has come out of every contest victorious, has remained 
the centre of faith and discipline, and has preserved the un- 
broken succession of bishops from Peter. Who does not see 
herein the assistance of Him who forever fulfils that promise of 
his. Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of 
hell shall not prevail against it. The Pope is, therefore, the 
visible supreme head of the Church, appointed by Christ for 
all time ; the invisible, all-governing head is Christ himself? 

What should we learn from this ? 

1. How great a happiness it is for the Catholic to belong to 
the Church which is built upon this rock. 2. How heartily 
every Catholic should acknowledge this happiness, give thanks 
to God, confide in the government of the Pope, submit to his 
decisions and decrees. For whoever opposes him, whoever 
deserts him, deserts the rock, and casts himself upon the 
stormy waves of the sea of the world, a prey to destruction. 
Is not this the teaching of every schism and heresy ? 

What are the bishops? 

They are the successors of the other Apostles, who in unity 
with the successor of St. Peter, or the Pope, are called to 
guide and rule the Church, to each of whom is usually assigned 
a certain district, or diocese. 

What are the particular duties of the office of bishop? 

They are the following: — 1. The preservation and propaga- 



704 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

tion of the Christian doctrine within his diocese. 2. The exer- 
cise of their sacred and mysterious functions. Of these they 
have assigned some to the office of priest, while they have re- 
served others exclusively to themselves. Of the latter class are 
the administration of confirmation, the ordination of priests, 
the consecration of bishops, the anointing of kings, the bene- 
diction of abbots and abbesses, the preparation of the chrism, 
the consecration of churches and altars, the blessing of ceme- 
teries and -of the sacred vessels. 3. The external administra- 
tion of the diocese; in particular the making of laws in regard 
to affairs within their bishoprics, and a corresponding right of 
dispensing from them, the holding of a spiritual court with 
power of punishment, the superintendence of ecclesiastical in- 
stitutions, such as seminaries, the power of investing with 
spiritual offices, the administration of church property, the col- 
lection of the customary dues for meeting the wants of the 
Church. Besides, the bishop has certain rights of honor, as, 
for example, the title Right Reverend, the Throne, the Episco- 
pal dress, &c. 

What are we to understand by an archbishop, primate, and 
patriarch ? 

Archbishops are the chief-pastors in their own dioceses, like 
other bishops ; but at the same time they have an oversight 
over a number of bishops and dioceses adjacent to their own, 
and these different dioceses together constitute what is called 
a province of the Church. 

A primate is the bishop of that See which, in any kingdom 
or state, is the oldest and most honorable of all. The title may 
be either one of honor only, or the primate may, as represen- 
tative of the Pope, have a certain actual authority and juris- 
diction. 

Patriarchs are bishops who have under their supervision and 
authority all the bishops and archbishops of several provinces 
or countries. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 7C>5 

iTeast of tlje foisitation of il)e jBiesscb birgin 4ft arg. 

JULY 2. 

This day is called the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 
because on it Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, whom, as the 
angel had told her, God had blessed with a son in her old age. 

[See the Introit of the Mass and the prayer on the Feast of 
the Immaculate Conception, p. 651.] 

Epistle. (Canticles ii. 8-14.) 

Behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the 
hills. My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart. Behold he standeth 
behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking through the 
lattices. Behold my beloved speaketh to me : Arise, make haste, my 
love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come. For winter is now past, 
the rain is over and gone. The flowers have appeared in our land, 
the time of pruning is come : the voice of the turtle is heard in our 
land : the fig-tree hath put forth her green figs : the vines in flower 
yield their sweet smell. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come : 
my dove in the clifts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall, 
show me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears : for thy voice is 
sweet, and thy face comely. 

Explanation. 

In this lesson, according to the holy fathers, is described the 
miraculous advent of the Word in our flesh. Christ leaps over 
the mountains and skips over the hills by destroying pride, and 
making humility, as it were, the road by which we are to 
come to him. The roe and young hart are an emblem of 
swiftness. Christ hastens with ardent zeal to fulfil his work. 
The wall is human nature, under which Christ concealed him- 
self; wherefore the prophet calls him a hidden God (Isaiaa 
xlv. 15). The windows and lattices are, partly, the Holy 
Scriptures, which speak of him (John v. 39) ; partly the en- 
lightenment, trials, and graces by which he shows himself al- 
ways present to men. In the words which follow, Christ 
speaks to his Church of his advent upon earth, and calls upon 
her, and upon all souls redeemed by his blood, to detach them- 



706 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

selves from the world, to press forward in the way of virtue 
(Phil. iii. 13, 14), and to give themselves up entirely to his 
guidance, that he may bring them to perfection (Ps. lxxxiii. 3). 
By the winter which is past, is to be understood the time of 
heathenism and Judaism, which at his incarnation began to 
disappear, and to give place to the glorious fruits of Chris- 
tianity. 

Gospel. (Luke i. 39-47.) 

At that time, Mary, rising tip, went into the hill-country with haste, 
into a city of Juda. And she entered into the house of Zachary, and 
saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard 
the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Eliza- 
beth was filled with the Holy Ghost: and she cried out with a loud 
voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the 
fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me that the mother of my 
Lord should come to me? For behold as soon as the voice of thy 
salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 
And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be 
accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord. And Mary said : 
My soul doth magnify the Lord : and my spirit hath rejoiced in God, 
my Saviour. 

Brief Lessons. 

I. As soon as Mary heard that Elizabeth was with child, she 
hastened to her. The alacrity of the Blessed Virgin teaches 
us that we should take part with gladness in the happiness of 
our fellow-men, and quickly make ourselves ready to discharge 
our duties, sacrificing for that object, if necessary, even our 
own much-loved retirement, our devotions and other exercises 
of piety. 

II. Mary visited her cousin out of real love, not out of un- 
meaning ceremony. Would that her example were the pat- 
tern of our visits ! 

III. By the visit of the Blessed Virgin, John was sanctified 
in his mother's womb, and Elizabeth, enlightened by the Holy 
Ghost, knew, by the miraculous movements of her child, that 
Mary was the mother of the Lord. Such effects did this visit 
produce. What would Jesus effect in us, if we 'receive him 
with due preparation ! 






THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 767 



Exposition of the Canticle Magnificat, or "3fy soul doth 
magnify the Lord." 

In this hymn, Mary with joy praises God, the Lord, that lie 
has regarded her humility, and made her to be the mother of 
his only-begotten Son, wherefore she should be called blessed 
by all generations ; and she declares the truths and mysteries 
which the incarnation brought to light. The mercy of God, 
namely, reaches from generation to generation, to them that 
fear him. He scatters the thoughts of the proud, and puts 
down from their seats the mighty ; but he exalts the humble. 
He fills those who hunger for justice with good things, but 
those who think themselves rich, he sends away empty. He 
receives all true Israelites, and performs in them the promises 
which he gave to the fathers. This hymn is repeated by the 
Church every day at Vespers, in praise of the work of redemp- 
tion, began by the incarnation of the Son of God in Mary. 
Would that every Christian, since he becomes one only by 
Christ being, as it were, born in him, might share those feel- 
ings which the Blessed Virgin and mother has expressed in 
this hymn of praise, and, with the Church, daily praise God 
for the mystery of the incarnation ! 

Aspiration. 

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who didst de- 
scend from the highest heavens to the womb of the Virgin 
Mary, didst therein rest for nine months, and with her didst 
condescend to visit and sanctify St. John, grant that we, by 
the practice of good works, particularly of humility, may be- 
come partakers of the fruits of thy incarnation. 



768 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

feast of St. Eiric, itUsljop. 

JULY 4. 

His Life, 

St. Ulric, Bishop of Augsburg, descended from the distin- 
guished family of the Counts of Kybourg, Dillingen, and Wit- 
tislingen, was born in the year 890. His parents directed 
their entire attention to giving their son a good education, 
and with that object, for the further cultivation of his mind 
and heart, sent him to the convent of St. Gall, in Switzerland, 
the monks of which were at that time celebrated both for their 
learning and piety. Upon St. Ulric's returning thence to his 
parents, Adalbero, bishop of Augsburg, at once promoted 
him to the office of chancellor, in which capacity he perfectly 
answered all expectations. Upon the death of Adalbero, all 
desired that St. Ulric might be their bishop. He refused, how- 
ever, to accept this important office, and was first consecrated 
bishop fifteen years later, upon the death of the successor of 
Bishop Adalbero, at a very trying time ; for there was then not 
only disunion among the princes of Germany, such as almost 
to cause war between father and son, together with other 
calamities, but numerous bodies of Huns were advancing to- 
wards Augsburg, plundering and devastating as they came. 
They were defeated, however, on the Lechfeld. To this vic- 
tory St. Ulric very greatly contributed ; for he prayed day 
and night, assembled the people in the church, gave Holy 
Communion to the soldiers on the day of battle, and, with 
them, advanced against the enemy, wearing as a weapon only 
the stole, over his ordinary dress. Ulric was equally zealous 
in the administration of his diocese, and in all practices of 
piety. In particular, he was unwearied in prayer, and ex- 
tremely kind to the poor, among whom, a short time before his 
death, he distributed all his goods. He died in the year 973. 
As many and great miracles were wrought at his grave (in 
the church of St. Afra), he was canonized in the year 992, 
and the church of St. Afra was from that time called St. 
Ulric's. In pictures he is represented always as a bishop ; 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 769 

an angel extends to him a cross, and he has by him a fish. 
Hereby it is signified, that in the battle with the Huns, he 
received a cross from an angel, and that on a certain day in 
Lent a piece of flesh was, for his sake, changed into a fish. St. 
Ulric was particularly distinguished for his zeal in prayer, by 
which he rose to so high a degree of piety. Pray, therefore, 
gladly, like St. Ulric, and you, too, will become good and 
pious. It is not possible, writes St. Chrysostom, to live virtu- 
ously unless we pray fervently. A soldier is not allowed to 
go into battle without arms, and a Christian should begin 
nothing without prayer. 

[See the Introit of the Mass, the Epistle, and Gospel, on the 
Feast of St. Liborius, p. 189.] 

Prayer. 

O God, who seest that of our own strength we are unable 
to stand, mercifully grant that, through the intercession of thy 
holy confessor and bishop, Ulric, we may be defended from all 
adversities. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen. 



least of St. toillibalo. 

JULY 7. 

Sis Life. 

St. Willibald was born in England, about the year 700. 
He was of a holy and honorable family ; his father was St. 
Richard, king of the West Saxons; his brother was St. Winni- 
bald ; his sister St. Walburga ; his cousin St. Boniface, arch- 
bishop of Mayence. In the year 721, he accompanied his 
father and his brother Winnibald to Rome, to the tombs of 
the xVpostles. At Lucca, the brothers lost their holy father, 
Richard. They thereupon went to Rome, and took the re- 
ligious habit in a convent. Willibald at this time undertook, 
in company with some English noblemen, a pilgrimage to the 
Holy Land. On the journey their food was bread and water, 
33 



770 INSTRUCTIONS ON" 

and their lodging the bare ground. They prayed, sang, and 
carried on spiritual conversation. At Ernesa, in Phoenicia, the 
saint was thrown into prison by the Saracens, as though he 
were a spy, and was closely confined for some months. But 
certain good men, who were edified by his virtues and affected 
by his misfortunes, represented his innocence to the Caliph 
(the ruler of the Saracens), and obtained his liberation, foi 
which the saint most ardently thanked God. He now, with 
his pious companions, hasted to Palestine, where they visited 
the holy places according to the order of the life of Christ. 

After seven years he returned to Italy, where, in the monas- 
tery of Mount Casino, he filled several offices which were con- 
ferred upon him, and by his example contributed very much 
to bring back the early spirit of the rule of St. Benedict. ■ 

In the year 738 St. Boniface arrived in Rome, and besought 
Pope Gregory III. that he might have his cousin Willibald as 
an assistant in his apostolic labors in Germany. His petition 
was granted. Willibald thereupon went with his cousin to 
Thuringia, was there ordained priest by him, and showed 
himself, both by word and deed, an efficient missionary. He 
labored both in France and Bavaria with the happiest results, 
and that he might carry on his work with the greater respect 
and advantage, St. Boniface consecrated him Bishop of Eich- 
stadt (July 22, 741), where, at that time, there were but a few 
houses and a small chapel standing, in consequence of the city 
having been destroyed by the Huns. St. Willibald now re- 
doubled his zeal, for the vineyard which had been assigned to 
him to cultivate required the most arduous labor. He ex- 
hibited extraordinary charity towards the unfortunate, and 
had a peculiar gift for comforting the afflicted. For the pur- 
pose of more easily attaining recollection in the sight of God, 
he betook himself at certain times to one of the convents which 
he had founded — that at Heidenheim. His love of solitude did 
not, however, hinder him from discharging the duties of a pas- 
tor ; he took care both of the temporal and spiritual wants of 
his flock. His strict fasting he continued even at his great 
age. He died at Eichstadt on July 7, 786, in his eighty-sev- 
enth year. God glorified him by many miracles. In the year 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 771 

12V0 the Bishop Hildebrand caused a church to be built at 
Eiehstadt, under his patronage, in which his remains yet rest. 
It is not the place, says St. Jerome, that makes a man holy, 
but the disposition of the heart, the holy intention, the fervent 
devotion. It is not merely to have lived at Jerusalem, but to 
have lived there holily, that is praiseworthy. 

[For the Introit of the Mass, the Epistle, and Gospel, see 
the Feast of St. Liborius, p. 789.] 

Prayer. 

O God, who, as on this day, didst translate thy worthy 
bishop AVillibald, heir of an English kingdom, to the eternal 
inheritance of the angels, mercifully grant that, through his 
merits and intercession, we may come to be joint-heirs with 
him in thy glory. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 



least of St. EUicut ana I)is Companions. 

JULY 8. 

His Life. 

St. Kilian was by birth an Irishman, and was descended from 
a noble family. He received an education suitable to his po- 
sition, and made great proficiency in virtue as well as in learn- 
ing. As often as he meditated on the love of Jesus, who shed 
his blood on the cross for our sins, his heart glowed with the 
longing desire to carry the light of the faith to the heathen, 
who were sitting in the shadow of death. The surest method 
of accomplishing his object appeared to him to be, to enter 
some religious order. For it was in the religious orders that 
the chief apostles of the faith were in those days educated. 
Accordingly he entered the order of the Benedictines, and 
therein learned the science of the saints. The brothers, be- 
lieving him the most worthy of the office, chose him for their 
abbot, or superior, notwithstanding his opposition. Meanwhile 



772. INSTRUCTIONS ON 

he grew more and more strong in spirit, by self-denial and 
prayer. He was greatly affected by those words of the Re- 
deemer, Lift up you? eyes and see the countries, for they are 
white already to harvest (John iv. 35). To him these harvest- 
fields were the heathen countries of Germany. With the 
Apostle he exclaimed, Neither tribidation nor fear, neither 
hunger nor thirst, neither nakedness nor persecution, not even 
the sword shall be capable of separating me from the love of 
Christ. He therefore left his monastery, his parents, his coun- 
try, with eleven companions crossed the sea in the year 685, 
and landed safely in France. Passing through France he came 
to Germany, and, according to an old tradition, with the priest 
Colonat and the deacon Totman, settled on a mountain in Fran- 
conia, in order to learn the language and customs of the people. 
The hill on which the missionary planted the victorious sign oi 
our redemption, the holy cross, is from that circumstance called 
Kreuzberg, or the hill of the cross. 

The ancient Franks were wild hunters and rapacious war- 
riors. Their abodes were in the thick, dark forests ; they sup- 
ported themselves by hunting and rapine, and under the name 
of Hall a or Hulda, worshipped Diana, the goddess of the forest 
and of the chase. A temple dedicated to her was built by 
them on Schlossberg, near Wurzburg. They also built places 
for sacrifice in the neighborhood of large oak-trees. Besides 
Diana, they also worshipped Frei (goddess of unchasteness), 
Thor (god of thunder), and Woden (god of war). In honor of 
these divinities they held dances and drinking banquets in their 
temples. They made use of different kinds of incantations, pre- 
dicted fortunes from the intestines of animals, and burnt their 
dead. For the rest, they were completely overrun with the vice's 
which are inseparable from heathenism. Although, since the 
miraculous conversion of the king of the Franks, Clovis, in 
the year 496, some rays of Christianity had penetrated the 
darkness, yet the* seed of the Christian religion which had 
sprung up was trampled down again by the idolatrous Huns, 
who, from 630 to 633, desolated Franconia, which at that time 
was reckoned to belong to the Duchy of Thuringia, 

The missionaries, as soon as they had made themselves ac« 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 773 

quainted with the language of the country, journeyed to Rome, 
in August of the year 686, to obtain from the vicar of Christ, 
the chief pastor of the Church, the requisite permission and 
powers for their great work of conversion ; for the Holy 
Scripture says, How shall they preach unless they be sent? 
(Rom. x. 15.) They laid before the papal see their profession 
of the faith, and the evidence of their fitness to teach. St. 
Kilian thereupon was consecrated bishop by Pope Conon, 
and received authority to announce to the heathen the glad 
tidings of salvation. The zeal which burned in his heart 
did not permit him to remain long with his companions in 
Rome. Notwithstanding the severe season of winter, they com- 
menced their return journey, arrived in February, 687, at 
Wurzburg, and after having invoked the Divine assistance, 
commenced to cultivate the wide-spreading vineyard of the 
Lord which had been assigned to them, beset as it was with 
many and great difficulties. The missionaries were to Chris- 
tianize this heathen-land of the Franks ; that is, they were to 
bring about the reception of a religion which obliges one with- 
out intermission to combat his passions — those passions which 
the corrupt man regards as the life of his soul and the source 
of his happiness ; they were to procure the reception of a 
religion which enjoins humility, contempt of earthly goods, 
chastity, penance, forgiveness of injuries, love of one's enemies; 
of a religion which requires man to regard this world as a 
place of exile, and heaven as his country ; to renounce, at 
least in heart, all temporal goods — those, namely, which he sees 
with his eyes, which he touches with his hands, which he knows 
by experience, and to take for good such things as he cannot 
comprehend, for which he has no inclination, and which lie in 
another world, into which he will enter after death. Let one 
but consider all these difficulties, and he will feel the truth of 
that saying of St. Paul's, Neither he that planteth is any 
thing, nor he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase 
(1 Cor. iii. 1). 

The seed of the word of God which had been sown, soon 
bore plentiful fruit ; for the preachers of the faith practised 
the lessons which they taught, and confirmed them by various 



774 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

miracles. At that time Theobald governed the duchy, in the 
name of the king of the Franks. Kilian spared no pains to 
impart to the duke a knowledge of the true faith. He finally 
yielded to the impressive admonitions of the saint, and to the 
call of the voice of God, gave up his idolatry, and on the 
Feast of Easter, 687, was incorporated into the true Church 
of God by holy baptism. His name, Theobald, was changed 
to Gorbert (worthy before God). Many of his subjects fol- 
lowed his example ; the idols were sunk in the river Maine. 
The whole of East Franconia would have been in a short time 
brought to the service of the true God, had it not been that a 
second Herodias, named Gailana, the widowed sister-in-law of 
the duke, had sworn the ruin of Kilian. Gorbert had married 
her ; the saint thereupon represented to him that such a mar- 
riage was in contradiction to the divine law, and could not, 
therefore, be sanctioned. 

When we see a man walking in the w T ay of sin, let us, with 
charity, show him the abyss which threatens to swallow him 
up, and let us admonish him to do penance until he enters into 
himself, and turns to God. 

The duke promised that when he had finished a war which 
was then about to begin, he would formally separate from 
Gailana. " For the love of Almighty God," said the well-mean- 
ing neophyte, " I have given up every thing, the possession of 
which is dear and delightful to me. Impelled by the same 
love, I will now give up my dear wife, since it is not lawful for 
me to keep her ; for nothing is nearer and closer to my heart 
than the love of God." Gailana, upon learning this, broke out 
into ungovernable rage, and as the revengefulness of an en- 
raged woman borders on phrensy and knows no bounds, she 
immediately determined upon murder, and engaged two pagans, 
with the promise of a large sum of money if they succeeded, 
to kill St. Kilian and his companions on a certain night. In 
this design she took advantage of the absence of her husband. 
At midnight the hired murderers rushed into the room of the 
saints, who were then just engaged in prayer. 

St. Peter writes for all Christians (l Pet. iv. 12, 13), Think 
not strange the burning heat ichich is to try you, as if some 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 775 

new thing happened to you ; but if you partake of the suffer- 
ings of Jesus Christ, rejoice, that, when his glory shall be 
revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. Imbued 
with this heavenly teaching, Kilian went to meet his murderers 
with courageous resolution, as Jesus did his betrayer, where- 
upon the three heroes of the faith were unmercifully beheaded. 
This happened on the 8th July, 689. 

In order that the duke might not find out this cruel murder, 
the corpses of the saints, together with all the church utensils 
and priestly vestments, were thrown into a pit. But this evil 
deed was not allowed to go unpunished of God, who shortly 
after revealed it to the whole land. One of the murderers, 
seized with madness and delirium, rushed through the streets 
of the city, crying out most piteously, " O Kilian, Kilian, I see 
the sword dyed with thy blood hanging over my head !" At 
last, with his teeth he tore his own flesh, and so died a horrible 
death. The other assassin killed himself with his OAvn sword, 
while the revengeful duchess became a lunatic, and was thus 
also brought to a frightful end. Let us not, either by word or 
by example, make ourselves partakers of the sins of others, for 
otherwise God will punish us as he does those to whom we 
give occasions to sin. 

To promote confidence in the intercession of St. Kilian and 
his companions, many churches and altars were afterwards 
dedicated to their honor. Their portraits were stamped on both 
gold and silver coins, and were also presented to the world in 
statues of silver, in beautiful paintings, and on military banners. 
Portions of their relics were distributed to many hundred 
churches ; many pious Christians have in their last wills ap- 
pointed these patrons of their country their heirs. Their 
burial-place, in the new minster church, is, on the 8th July, 
visited by many thousand persons. Thus are they honored 
after death, who during life have promoted the glory of 
God. 

If St. Kilian were to appear in our times as a preacher, he 
would call out to us, as of old, Enter ye in at the narrow gate, 
for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to de- 
struction, and many there are who go in thereat. Mow narrow 



776 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

is the gate and strait is the way that leadeth to life, and few 
there are that find it (Matt. vii. 13, 14). 

Let us before all else seek the kingdom of God and his jus- 
tice ; that is the condition upon which the saints assure us of 
their intercession in our behalf before God. 

The Introit of the Mass contains a prayer of consolation : 
The salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their 
protector in the time of trouble. JBe not emulous of evil-doers, 
nor envy them that work iniquity (Ps. xxxvi.) Glory be to 
the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who givest us joy by the annual solemnity of thy 
holy martyrs, Kilian, Colonat, Totman, mercifully grant that 
we may be animated by the examples of those in whose merits 
we rejoice. Through Jesus Christ. 

Aspiration. 

How happy for you, O holy Apostle of Franconia, that by 
the stormy sea of time you are come to the land of everlast- 
ing j°y • Oh? remember the Church planted by your labors, 
watered by your sweat and tears, made fruitful by your blood, 
and pray the chief pastor, Jesus Christ, that he may be pleased 
to guide, protect, and strengthen, deliver and preserve us 
unto life eternal. Amen. 



jfeaet of St. flenrs. 

JULY 15. 

Sis Life. 

Henry, surnamed the Pious, was born at Abbach, in Bava- 
ria, the 6th May, in the year 792. His father was Henry the 
Short, duke of Bavaria, and his mother, Gisella, daughter of 
Conrad, duke of Burgundy. The charge of his education was 
intrusted to St. Wolfgang, bishop of Regensbiirg. In the 
year 995 he succeeded his father in the dukedom of Bavaria, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 777 

and soon after married Cunigund, daughter of Siegfried, count 
of Luxemburg ; they both, however, took vows of perpetual 
chastity. On the death of the Emperor Otho III., Henry was 
elected Roman Emperor, and was crowned at Mayence, on 
the 6th of June, 1002. He never lost sight of the end for 
which he had been so highly exalted by God, and hence his 
great zeal to promote the honor of God and the dignity of the 
Church, to preserve peace in his territories, and to provide in 
all things for the welfare of his people. He engaged in no war, 
unless for the defence of his people. He sent zealous mission- 
aries into Poland and Bohemia, in order to bring the heathen 
of those countries into the bosom of the Church. He gave a 
helping hand to St. Stephen of Hungary, in his undertaking of 
bringing those of his subjects who as yet were ignorant of 
Jesus Christ, to the knowledge of the truth. He was deeply 
impressed with the conviction that, according to our progress 
in that truth would be our progress in Christian perfection. 
By slanderers and evil tongues, the devil, who by these means 
has wrought so much evil in the world, excited in his mind 
the suspicion that Cunigund, who lived with him as a sister, 
had violated her marriage fidelity. Cunigund, who had ob- 
served this, cleared herself from this suspicion, by a method 
not unusual in those times, the ordeal of fire ; she walked upon 
red-hot ploughshares, without suffering harm. This miracle 
deeply humbled St. Henry, who did every thing in his power 
to make amends for the reproach cast upon his chaste wife. 
No sooner had he heard of the innocence of St. Heribert, 
archbishop of Cologne — against whom, in want of proper 
knowledge, he had allowed himself to be prejudiced — than he 
threw himself at his feet, and would not rise up until assured 
of his sincere forgiveness. The churches which had been 
destroyed by the pagan Sclaves he rebuilt at great expense ; 
founded, in the year 1006, the Bishopric of Bamberg, built the 
cathedral there, and re-established the overthrown Sees of 
Hildesheim, Magdeburg, Basil, Meissen, and Merseburg. He 
was accustomed to attend the holy sacrifice with the deepest 
devotion, and very frequently received Holy Communion. He 
had a very great desire to renounce the world, and to spend 
33* 



778 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

the remainder of his days under obedience, in the cloister; but 
pious persons strongly represented to him that his true voca- 
tion was to reign with wisdom, and to sanctify himself on the 
throne. While making a journey to Saxony he was seized 
with a severe illness at Gruningen, a castle near Halberstadt. 
He felt that his days were coming to an end ; accordingly, he 
received the holy sacraments with great devotion, sent for the 
empress, and once more declared that he had done her injus- 
tice by having entertained suspicions of her fidelity. He then 
took her by the hand, and in the presence of many prelates, of 
the principal personages of his court, and of the relatives of 
the saint, whom he particularly sent for, he gave her up to 
them, with the words, " Behold, as you, or rather Jesus Christ, 
gave her to me, so I give her back to you, a pure virgin, as 
she was when I married her." Soon after the emperor was 
called away to a better kingdom, in the night of the 13th 
July, 1024, in the 52d year of his age, and the 22d of his reign. 
His corpse was, according to his own directions, taken to Bam- 
berg and buried in the cathedral. The Lord gave witness to 
the sanctity of his servant by many miracles. He is the chief 
patron of all the diocese of Bamberg. As he was, during his 
reign, the terror of his enemies, his feast was inserted in the 
calendar in the year 1631, by Pope Urban VIII., at the re- 
quest of the Emperor Ferdinand II., on occasion of the calami- 
ties of the Thirty Years' War. 

After the death of her husband, St. Cunigund went to 
Kauffungen and procured the dedication of the convent church 
which she had built there. When this solemn ceremony was 
finished, she Avent before the altar, laid down her crown and 
robe of purple, adorned with gold, had her hair cut off, and 
put on the habit of a nun. All present were deeply moved, 
and shed plenteous tears. But she retired into the convent, 
and took her place in the community as the lowest among the 
sisters. To reading and prayer she joined handiwork and other 
penitential practices. On the 3d of March, 1040, she, so heavenly 
herself, was called to heaven. By her own request, her corpse 
was taken to Bamberg, and buried by that of her royal husband. 
Grateful posterity has raised to her a beautiful monument. 






THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 779 

The Introit of the Mass. Tlie mouth of the just shall medi- 
tate wisdom, and his tongue shall speak judgment ; the law 
of God is in his heart (Ps. xxxvi. 30). Be not envious of evil 
doers, nor envy them that work iniquity. Glory be to the 
Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who didst translate St. Henry from the height of a 
temporal to an eternal kingdom, we humbly pray thee that, as 
thou didst give him grace to overcome the allurements of the 
world, so too thou wouldst enable us to shun those tempta- 
tions, and with pure hearts to come to thee, through Jesus 
Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

Epistle. (See the Feast of St. Joachim.) 



(Luke xix. 12-26.) 

At that time, Jesus said to the multitude this parable : A certain 
nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, 
and to return. And calling his ten servants, he gave them ten pounds, 
and said to them : Trade till I corqe. But his citizens hated him : 
and they sent an embassage after him, saying : We will not have this 
man to reign over us. And it came to pass that he returned, having 
received the kingdom : and he commanded his servants to be called, 
to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much 
every man had gained by trading. And the first came, saying: Lord, 
thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said to him : Well done, 
thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a little, thou 
shalt have power over ten cities. And the second came, saying : 
Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said to him : Be 
thou also over five cities. And another came, saying: Lord, behold 
here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin ; for I feared 
thee, because thou art an austere man : thou takest up what thou 
didst not lay down, and thou reapest that which thou didst not sow. 
He saith to him : Out of thy own mouth I judge thee, thou wicked 
servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up what I 
laid not down, and reaping that which I did not sow : and why then 
didst thou not give my money into the bank, that at my coming I 
might have exacted it with usury? And he said to them that stood 
by: Take the pound away from him, and give it to him that hath the 



780 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ten pounds. And they said to him : Lord, he hath ten pounds. But 
I say to you, that to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall 
abound : and from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall 
be taken from him. 

What is the meaning of this parable ? 

The nobleman is Christ ; the far country is the glory of 
heaven, into which he entered after his passion ; the servants 
are the Apostles and all Christians who, by using their gifts 
faithfully, prepare themselves for his coming again; the pound 
is the gift of Christianity ; the citizens, the Israelites who would 
not receive the truth, and all who oppose Christ. 

What reward do they receive who make good use of their 
gifts and graces ? 

Great happiness and glory in the kingdom of heaven. 

Why is that servant who kept his pound laid up in a napkin 
called wicked ? 

Because he who has not done any good works, has thereby 
already done evil. 

Why is the pound that was laid up given to him who has 
ten pounds ? 

Hereby we are taught that he who yields a willing and 
ready belief to the divine teachings, is carried forward in 
knowledge step by step ; while he who has no such disposition 
is deprived even of the scanty light that he has, and becomes 
more and more blind to the truth. 

What will be the lot of the wicked servant ? 

He must suffer the most horrible of deaths — death eternal, 
for the loss of the pound is the loss of grace ; and if grace be 
lost, happiness is lost. 

Are they to be envied who have received from God uncom- 
mon gifts, such as bishops and princes ? 

They are more fit to be pitied than envied ; for, according 
to the gospel of to-day, the account required of them will be 
according to their gifts. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 781 

jFeast of tlje ^oig Scapular. 

THIRD SUNDAY IN JULY. 

What does the Church celebrate on this clay? 

The feast of the Confraternity of the Holy Scapular. The 
scapular was originally a penitential dress of hair-cloth, worn 
over the shoulders (whence comes its name), and had a two- 
fold object : thus, as a penitential habit, it was intended con- 
tinually to incite one to penance, mortification of the flesh, and 
the observance of chastity ; while, as a token of remembrance 
given by Mary, decorated with her image, it was to remind 
one of her example, to inspire confidence, and to encourage 
the members of the confraternity to conduct themselves as her 
children. 

This confraternity was founded by the venerable Simon 
Stock, a Carmelite monk, who lived in the middle of the thir- 
teenth century. According to the trustworthy accounts of con- 
temporary writers, it originated in the following manner : As 
he was one day praying before an image of the Blessed Virgin, 
she appeared to him with a scapular in her hands, which she 
extended to him with these words: " This is a token of my love 
towards your order, a true means of promoting my honor, and 
so powerful a sign of salvation, that whoever shall wear it vrith 
holy dispositions, and persevere in good works till death, shall 
never be cast into everlasting flames." The Catholic Church 
has granted to this confraternity many indulgences. It had 
no sooner become known, than vast nuinjbers of Christian peo- 
ple hastened to be enrolled in it. Among its members have 
been St. Louis, king of France, St. Edward, king of England, 
and many princes and princesses. 

From what has been said, it is plain that this confraternity 
has a holy object, and that it is well adapted to furnish a con- 
tinual sign of warning to such light-minded persons as easily 
forget their obligations : farther, that for these reasons it is so 
far from being despicable, that it is much to be wished that 
people would everywhere revive it, for the honor of Mary and 
for the salvation of souls, by a life fitted to that end. 



782 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

What is to be observed by the members of this sodality ? 

In order to have a share in the merits of the sodality, every 
member must, 1. Shun sin, and, according to his state of life, 
live chastely. 2. Say every day, if possible, seven times, Our 
Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father. 3. Strive to 
serve God by venerating Mary, and imitating her virtues. 

These rules, it is true, are not binding under penalty of sin, 
but the breach of them deprives us of all merit ; and is not this 
something to be taken into account ? He who soweth spar- 
ingly, shall also reap sparingly (2 Cor. ix. 6). 

[For the Introit of the Mass, see the Assumption of the 
Blessed Virgin Mary.] 

Prayer. 

O God, who hast honored the Order of Carmelites with the 
particular title of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, thy mother, 
mercifully grant that, protected by her prayers whose com- 
memoration we this day celebrate with a solemn office, we 
may deserve to arrive at joy everlasting. Who livest. Amen. 

Epistle. (Ecclus. xxiv. 23-31.) 

As tl»e vine, I have brought forth a pleasant odor : and my flowers 
are the fruit of honor and riches. I am the mother of fair love, and 
of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me is all grace of 
the way and of the truth ; in me is all hope of life and of virtue. 
Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits. 
For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey 
and the honeycomb. My memory is unto everlasting generations. 
They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me shall yet 
thirst. He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and 
they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall 
have life everlasting. 

Explanation. 

These ascriptions of praise are properly to be understood of 
the Eternal Wisdom of God. No one was so filled with the 
spirit of God, and with the heavenly fruits of this divine wis- 
dom, as Mary. For this reason, the Church applies this epistle 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 783 

to her, thereby encouraging us fervently to honor the Blessed 
Mother of God, in whom the Eternal Wisdom dwelt bodily, 
and through whom he was given to us, that by her interces- 
sion, our understanding may be enlightened, our will strength- 
ened, and we inspired with fresh zeal to practice ourselves, and 
to prevail on others to practice also, whatever is chaste, be- 
coming, and holy. 

Gospel. (Luke xi. 27, 28.) [See Kosary Sunday.] 



iTeast of i\)z §o\q penitent, illarg Ulagoaku. 

JULY 22. 

Her Life. 

Mary Magdalen, a sister of Lazarus and of Martha, of 
Bethany, was a notorious sinner in Jerusalem. Moved by the 
preaching of Jesus, she did public penance. She went openly 
into the house of the Pharisee with whom Jesus was sitting at 
table, threw herself at his feet, anointed them with precious 
ointment, washed them with her tears, and wiped them with 
her hair. Jesus, knowing her contrite heart, forgave her her 
sins (Luke vii. 37, 38), and from that time forward she became 
the most zealous and faithful of the women who were disciples 
of our Lord. She followed him, always ministered unto him 
of her substance (Luke viii. 3), and when he died, was stand- 
ing under the cross. 

Sinner ! have you followed Magdalen in sin ? Follow her, 
then, in penance, that in you too there may be verified what 
the Church sings of St. Magdalen. She who committed so 
many sins, returns from the abyss of hell to the gates of life ; 
she who, by her frailty, scandalized many, from a vessel of 
shame becomes a vessel of glory. 

At the Introit of the Mass, the Church, as if in the place of 
St. Magdalen, cries out, The wicked have waited for me to de- 
stroy me ; but I have understood thy testimonies, Lord ; I 
have seen an end of all perfection. y thy commandment is eso- 



784 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ceedingly broad (Ps. cxviii.) Blessed are the undefiled in the 
way, vj/w walk in the law of the Lord. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

We beseech thee, O Lord, that we may be helped by the 
intercession of blessed Mary Magdalen, entreated by whose 
prayers thou didst raise up again to life her brother Lazarus, 
who had been dead for four days. Who livest. 

Epistle. (Canticles iii. 2-5, and viii. 6, 7.) 

I will rise, and will go about the city : in the streets and the broad 
ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth : I sought him and I 
found him not. The watchmen who keep the city found me: Have 
you seen him whom my soul loveth ? When I had a little passed by 
them, I found him whom my soul loveth. I held him : and I will not let 
him go till I bring him into my mother's house, and into the chamber 
of her that bore me. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the 
roes and the harts of the fields, that you stir not up, nor awake my 
beloved till she please. Put me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal 
upon thy arm, for love is strong as death ; jealousy as hard as hell ; 
the lamps thereof are fire and flame. Many waters cannot quench 
charity, neither can the floods drown it: if a man should give up all 
the substance of his house for love, he shall despise it as nothing. 

Brief Lessons. 

I. By the bride, the holy fathers understand the soul which 
seeks its spouse, Christ ; and by the busy seeking in the city, 
a too great and inordinate activity even in good works. But 
in vain- is the spouse sought in this manner; for too much 
business confuses the mind, nourishes vanity, and by manifold 
cares fixes the thoughts on earthly things. 

II. By the watchmen are to be understood the priests, teach- 
ers, and rulers of the Church. For you, O loving souls, who 
have lost your spouse, this is the way to come to Jesus : ask 
direction of these watchmen, and when you have received it 
follow it; give yourselves to prayer with perseverance, and 
with the resolution to seek thereby, not enjoyment, but God 
only. Whatever you do, do with a pure intention, for God's 
sake, and thus you will find Jesus again. 






THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 785 

III. The soul that thus seeks Jesus, he goes to meet, gives 
himself up to, takes up his abode in, with all his love, with all 
his treasures. Who can comprehend this love and delight ? 
Go and make trial of it ! 

IV. The soul which has found Christ, for delight forgets all 
outward things, and no longer has love or joy but for and in 
Christ. How should it be otherwise ? What can be wanting 
to him who truly possesses Christ ? This love for him who 
loved us unto death, shows itself by outward acts that are 
heroic. So Mary Magdalen loved Jesus. Follow her example. 

Gospel. (Luke vii. 36-50.) 

At that time, one of the Pharisees desired Jesus to eat with him. 
And he went into the house of the Pharisee, and sat down to meat. 
And behold a woman that was in the city, a sinner, when she knew 
that he sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster-box 
of ointment, and standing behind, at his feet, she began to wash his 
feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed 
his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. And the Pharisee, 
who had invited him, seeing it, spoke within himself, saying: This 
man, if he were a prophet, would know surely who and what manner 
of woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner. And Jesus 
answering, said to him : Simon, I have somewhat to say to thee. But 
he said: Master, say it. A certain creditor had two debtors, the one 
owed five hundred pertce, and the other fifty. And whereas they had 
not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. "Which, therefore, of 
the two loveth him most? Simon answering, said: I suppose that he 
to whom he forgave most. And he said to him : Thou hast judged 
rightly. And turning to the woman, he said unto Simon : Dost thou 
see this woman? I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water 
for my feet; but she with tears hath washed my feet, and with her 
hairs hath wiped them. Thou gavest me no kiss; but she, since she 
came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou 
didst not anoint; but she with ointment hath anointed my feet. 
Wherefore I say to thee: Many sins are forgiven her, because she 
hath loved much. But to whom less is forgiven, he loveth less. And 
he said to her: Thy sins are forgiven thee. And they that sat at 
meat with him began to say within themselves: Who is this that 
forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman: Thy faith hath 
made thee safe, go in peace. 



786 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

What does this gospel teach us ? 

I. Magdalen, who had sinned openly, openly did penance. 
In like manner, he who has given public scandal must seek to 
make amends for it by public good example. 

II. Magdalen confessed her sins, says St. Ambrose, not with 
words, but with abundant tears of penitence. To tell her sins 
to Christ, the All-knowing, was not necessary; but what a 
confession was there in the posture of humiliation, and in the 
tears that flowed from the contrite sinner. Would you obtain 
forgiveness ? Confess with contrition, like Magdalen. 

III. When Magdalen washes the feet of Jesus with her tears, 
wipes them with her hair, and anoints them with precious 
ointment, she does penance in a manner corresponding to the 
manner of her sins. Her eyes had led astray herself and 
others ; for this they are now bathed in tears. Her hair, yes, 
and her whole head, were previously instruments of vanity, 
and enticements to sin ; for this she now lays her head at the 
feet of Jesus, as a sign that henceforth she will seek to please 
only him. The perfumes and ointments which before had 
ministered to sin, serve now to prepare Jesus beforehand for 
his burial. Behold here a genuine model of true penance. 
What formerly helped to sin, must now help the penitent to 
virtue ; thus our worldly goods and our strength must be 
made use of m doing alms-deeds and good works. 

IV. After all, the Pharisee still looks upon Magdalen as a 
sinner, and accordingly feels contempt for Christ. How unjust, 
and at the same time how uncharitable ! But such is the 
manner of men. Blinded by passion, they judge others by 
themselves. Thus the avaricious man thinks another unjust, 
and the impure man believes another unchaste; again, how 
unjust and uncharitable ! 

V. The words, Thy faith hath made thee safe, denote a faith 
active as love. Faith and love are in truth never separated, 
for he only truly believes who also loves ; and he only loves 
according to God's will, who believes in him. Therefore be- 
lieve in truth, love, and show your love by earnest hatred of 
every sin, by flying from occasions of sin, by fighting against 
your passions, by change of your life, and by humble confes- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 787 

sion, and as true as God lives, you will be saved, as was Mag- 
dalen ; the peaee of God will enter into your heart. 

Aspiration. 

O most loving Jesus, with Magdalen, I fall at thy feet, and 
accuse myself that I have shamefully abused the fatherly 
kindness with which thou hast blessed me in body and soul, 
and have misspent all the time of my life past. Whither shall 
I go for help and consolation, but to thee, O most merciful 
Jesus, who hast come into the world that thou might seek and 
save sinners. Give me, therefore, an earnest will to forsake all 
evil, and to return to thee my chief good, to repent of my 
sins out of true love, to guard against them for the future, to 
shun the occasion by which I have hitherto been enticed into 
sin, and by the practice of good works to redeem the time lost. 
Grant me this, O Jesus, by thy bitter passion and death, and 
through the intercession of the holy penitent Magdalen. 
Amen. 



least of St. Ciboruxs. 

JULY 2 3. 
His Life. 

St. Liborius, born in France about the year 310, gave at a 
very early age indications of his future sanctity. He possessed 
a great desire for learning, was distinguished for modesty and 
humility, was very much devoted to the divine service, and 
frequently manifested his inward devotion by singing psalms. 
On account of his extraordinary virtues he was unanimously 
chosen Bishop of Mans, in the year 348. Of the income of 
his diocese and the gifts of the faithful, he used for himself and 
his household only as much as was necessary ; the rest he spent 
for the good of the poor and for new churches, of which, with 
the assistance of some noble families, he built seventeen in his 
diocese. At last the hour came in which he was to receive 
from the good man of the house, in whose vineyard he had 
labored unwearied, the reward of his faithful service. He 



788 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

fell sick, and God so ordered it, that St. Martin, bishop of 
Tours, should visit him. Liborius, on his rough bed, was com- 
forted by receiving the blessing of his visitor, and thereupon, 
on the 23d July, in the year 390, he gently and happily de- 
parted this life, to receive above the crown of immortality 
which God has prepared for all those that love him. The body 
of the saint was deposited in the church of St. Peter and St. 
Paul, which had been built near the city by the first bishop of 
the See, St. Julian. It remained there until the year 836, when, 
on the petition of Badurad, bishop of Paderborn, who had 
received a revelation from God, it was, with the permission of 
the Emperor Louis the Pious, removed to the cathedral of that 
town. (The right arm, however, was, by the desire of all, re- 
tained at Mans.) Upon the occasion of this removal of his 
remains many miracles took place, and continued to occur 
afterwards in Paderborn, where, through the intercession of 
the saint, various persons were freed from their diseases, and 
particularly from the pains of the stone. Particles of the 
bones of St. Liborius being sought for even by pious princes, 
the veneration of the saint thereby spread into many other 
places. How does it happen, asks St. Chrysostom, that we 
who consist of soul and body, take not even that care for the 
former which we do for the latter? We guard and protect 
the body in every way with care ; we call in physicians, we 
deck it with costly clothing, we give it more food than it 
needs, we are anxious that it may be always in good health 
and free from every evil, and when any thing brings it into a 
state of disorder, we use every means to relieve it therefrom. 
If, then, we do so much for the body, which is so far inferior 
to the soul, let us at least do as much for the soul ; let us 
nourish it with the word of God and with meditation on 
eternal truths ; let us heal its wounds with suitable spiritual 
medicines ; let us clothe it with good works ; let us adorn it 
with virtues, with alms-deeds, with prayers ; let us cleanse it 
with tears of contrition for our sins. Thus shall we enjoy the 
health which is necessary, and gain for ourselves the love of 
God, from whom, through the merits and grace of Jesus Christ, 
we shall receive the unspeakable goods of heaven. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 789 

Introit of the Mass. TJie Lord made to him a covenant of 
peace, and made him a prince ; that the dignity of the priest- 
hood should be to him forever (Ecclus. xlv. 30). Lord; re- 
member David and cdl his meekness. Glory be to the Father. 

Epistle. (Ecclus. xliv. 17, 21, 25, 26; xlv. 3, 8, 19.) 

Behold a great priest, who in his days pleased God and was found 
just, and in the time of wrath he was made a reconciliation. There 
was not found the like to him who preserved the law of the Most 
High. Therefore by an oath the Lord gave him glory in his posterity. 
He gave him the blessing of all nations, and confirmed his covenant 
upon his head. He acknowledged him in his blessings, he preserved 
for him his mercy: and he found grace before the eyes of the Lord. 
He glorified him in the sight of kings, and gave him a crown of glory. 
He made an everlasting covenant with him, and gave him the great 
priesthood, and made him blessed in glory. To execute the office of 
the priesthood, and to have praise in his name, and to offer him due 
incense for an odor of sweetness. 

Gospel. (Matt. xxv. 14-23.) See p. 647. 

Prayer. 

Almighty, Eternal God, who hast founded thy Church upon 
the confession of thy name, grant, we beseech thee, that she, 
celebrating the annual festival of thy holy confessor and bishop 
Liborius, may, through his intercession, be freed from all ad- 
versity. Through Jesus Christ. 



ifcast of St. Sames tlje Greater, Apostle. 

JULY 2 5. 
His Life. 

James, by birth a Galilean, a son of Zebedee and Salome, 
was brother to St. John the Apostle, with whom he was called 
by Jesus to follow him (Matt. iv. 22). He was present at the 
transfiguration on Mount Thabor (Matt. xvii. 1), at the raising 
of the daughter of Jairus from the dead (Mark v. 37), and 



790 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

« 
other like miracles, and at the bloody sweat in the garden 
(Matt. xxvi. 37). After the sending of the Holy Ghost, he 
preached the doctrines of Jesus in Judea, Samaria, and in Je- 
rusalem, where Herod caused him to be beheaded in the year 
44. His body was brought to Compostella, in Spain, where it 
is venerated by vast numbers of the faithful, who make pil- 
grimages to his grave. St. James was the first of the Apostles 
who shed his blood for Christ. 

[For the Introit of the Mass, see the Feast of St. Andrew.] 

Prayer. 

Be thou, O Lord, the sanctifier and guardian of thy people, 
that, defended by the protection of thy Apostle James, they 
may please thee by their conduct, and serve thee with secure 
minds. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (1 Cor. iv. 9-15.) 

Brethren : I think that God hath set forth us apostles the last, as it 
were men appointed to death: because we are made a spectacle to the 
world, and to Angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, hut 
you are wise in Christ : we are weak, hut you are strong : you are 
honorable, but we without honor. Even unto this hour we both 
hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no fixed 
abode, and Ave labor working with our own hands : we are reviled, and 
we bless : we are persecuted, and we suffer it. We are blasphemed, 
and we entreat : we are made as the refuse of this world, the off-scour- 
ing of all even until now. I write not these things to confound you : 
but I admonish you as my dearest children : for if you have ten 
thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathets. For in Christ 
Jesus by the gospel I have begotten you. 

Practice. 

To do good, and to reap therefrom contempt, mockery, and 
persecution, was the lot of Jesus and his Apostles. The same 
awaits the true Christian. Does he desire to observe strictly 
the commandments of God and of the Church, immediately 
worldlings and sensual men jeer at him as a fool, and go on to 
persecute him by word and deed, allowing him to rest nowhere. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 701 

And what does he do who is thus persecuted, despised, and 
regarded as the scum of the world ? He bears all in patience, 
does not curse and blaspheme back again, but blesses, suffers, 
prays, even for his enemies, does good to them, and seeks in 
every way to bring them to a better mind. Such is the por- 
trait of a true Christian. He has, accordingly, two conspicu- 
ous traits, to be persecuted and calumniated, and to wish and 
to do good to his persecutors. By this means, O Christian, 
know yourself. 

Gospel. (Matt. xx. 20-23.) 

At that time : There came to Jesus the mother of the sons of Zebe- 
dee with her sons, adoring and asking something of him. Who said 
to her: What wilt thou? She saith to him: Say that these my two 
sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in 
thy kingdom. But Jesus answering, said : You know not what you 
ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink ? They say to 
him : We can. He saith to them: My chalice indeed you shall drink: 
but to sit on my right or left hand, is not mine to give to you, but to 
them for whom it is prepared by my Father. 

What did this mother ask of Christ ? 

With the mistaken notion that Christ was about to pre- 
pare a great temporal kingdom, she desired for her sons the 
first places in it. How often do men in general, and parents 
in particular, act in the like foolish manner! If only their chil- 
dren meet with success in the world, if they obtain dignities, 
or enter into the ecclesiastical state, they consider themselves 
to have gained every thing, and accordingly, to secure their 
object, they allow themselves to employ all sorts of means. 
But how often are their views false, their aims unworthy and 
earthly ! How many a one is there who has in this manner 
been promoted to a position to which he never had a call, and 
which, therefore, will prove his ruin! What a responsibility 
rests upon such parents ! In like manner, how often the seem- 
ingly good wishes of men proceed from views and opinions 
which are not of God! Ought we not to thank God that all 
which we, in our delusion, wish for, does not come to pass'? 

Why did Jesus answer, You know not what you ask f 

To make them understand that her petition rested upon a 



?92 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

false notion. In the first place, they erred in believing that 
participation in Christ's kingdom was something desirable to 
the sensual man, whereas, to rule in his Church consists in 
suffering and patience, in serving and resignation. Then, too, 
they erred in supposing that he could dispose of the chief 
places in the kingdom of God arbitrarily. Woe, therefore, to 
all who enter upon offices in the Church, not with vocation and 
mission, but uncalled, and for temporal advantages. At the 
same time, they who are really called should remember that to 
rule in the kingdom of God is to be a servant, to practise resig- 
nation, to drink of the chalice with Jesus. 

What are we to understand by the chalice of which Jesus 
speaks ? 

The chalice of suffering and affliction of which he was about 
to drink, and of which, at a later day, the sons of Zebedee 
were to drink also. James was beheaded, John suffered tor- 
ture and exile. 

Prayer to St. James. 

O heroic Apostle, who first of all didst, after the example of 
Jesus, drink of the chalice of suffering, but now, in the king- 
dom of his Father, livest upon the holy mountain of Sion, ob- 
tain for me, I beseech thee, from Jesus, the grace not to shrink 
from the chalice of suffering and tribulation, but patiently to 
accept whatever the hand of God may present to me, whether 
agreeable or disagreeable, and thereby to become worthy one 
day to be inebriated with the streams of heavenly joy. 



Jcast of St. &ntt, Jflotljer of tl)e JMcsseb binjin. 

JULY 26. 

Her Life. 

All that we know of St. Ann is, that she was married to St. 
Joachim of the tribe of David, and lived with him in all virtue 
and piety, but for a long time was childless. This she bore 
with all patience, till at last the Lord heard her supplications, 
and made her the mother of the Most Blessed Virgin, and 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 793 

grandmother to the Saviour of the world. This distinction on 
the part of God is praise enough for her. On this account the 
faithful have always shown great veneration for her, and yet 
continually invoke her intercession. Let us also honor the 
mother of our mother, the grandmother of our Lord and 
Saviour, that she may pray for us to him. 

At the Introit of the Mass, the Church sings : Let us all re- 
joice in the Lord, keeping festival in honor of St. Ann, on 
whose solemnity the angels rejoice, and with one voice praise 
the Son of God. My heart hath uttered a good icord, I speak 
my works to the king. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who wast pleased to confer upon St. Ann the grace 
whereby she became the mother of her who brought forth 
thine only-begotten Son, mercifully grant that we who keep 
her festival, may, through her intercession, find help with thee. 
Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Epistle. (Proverbs xxxi. 10-31.) 

"Who shall find a valiant woman? far and from the uttermost coasts* 
is the price of her. The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he 
shall have no need of spoils. She will render him good, and not evil, 
all the days of her life. She hath sought wool and flax, and hath 
wrought by the counsel of her hands. She is like the merchant's 
ship, she bringeth her bread from afar. And she hath risen in the 
night, and given a prey to her household, and victuals to her maidens. 
She hath considered a field, and bought it : with the fruit of her 
hands she hath planted a vineyard. She hath girded her loins with 
strength, and hath strengthened her arm. She hath tasted, and seen 
that her tratfic is good : her lamp shall not be put out in the night. 
She hath put out her hand to strong things, and her fingers have 
taken hold of the spindle. She hath opened her hand to the needy, 
and stretched out her hands to the poor. She shall not fear for her 
house in the cold of snow: for all her domestics are clothed with 
double garments. She hath made for herself clothing of tapestry : 
line linen, and purple is her covering. Her husband is honorable in 
the gates, when he sitteth among the senators of the land. She made 
tine linen, and sold it, and delivered a girdle to the Chanaanite. 
34 



794: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Strength and beauty are her clothing, and she shall laugh in the lat- 
ter day. She hath opened her moutli to wisdom, and the law of 
clemency is on her tongue. She hath looked well to the paths of her 
house, and hath not eaten her bread idle. Her children rose up, and 
called her blessed : her husband and he praised her. Many daughters 
have gathered together riches : thou hast surpassed them all. Favor 
is deceitful, and beauty is vain : the woman that feareth the Lord, 
she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands : and let her 
works praise her in the gates. 

Practice. 

In this epistle, the Holy Ghost draws for us the portrait of a 
virtuous mistress of a family, who works day and night for the 
bodily and spiritual, the temporal and eternal welfare of her- 
self and of those belonging to her, and who thereby becomes 
the joy of her household, the happiness of her husband, the 
support of the w r hole house. Would that all wives were like 
this picture ! How soon then would families become more 
Christian-like, and households more industrious ! Would, also, 
that this picture might be heeded by those foolish wives who 
seek to gain reputation merely by beauty, by dress, by vanity ; 
who know no other business than to eat and drink, to do noth- 
ing and to sleep, to pay and receive visits, to invent and imi- 
tate new fashions, to carry about and exaggerate suspicious 
reports ; who count household cares the last things to be at- 
tended to ; who leave their children and families to their fate, 
or even scandalize and lead them into evil by obstinacy, pride, 
quarrelsomeness, and forwardness; who ruin the fortunes of their 
husbands, and bring them into poverty, disgrace, and misery ! 
Would that they might bethink themselves, in order that their 
conduct might not bring upon them, instead of reward, the 
judgment of God! 

Gospel. (Matt. xiii. 44-52.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples this parable : The kingdom 
of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field. Which a man 
having found, hideth and for joy thereof goeth, and selleth all that lie 
hath, and buyeth that field. Again the kingdom of heaven is like to 
a merchant seeking good pearls. Who when he had found one pearl 
of great price, went his way, and sold all that he had, and bought it. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 795 

Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a net cast into the sea, and 
gathering together of all kind of fishes. Which, when it was filled, 
they drew out, and sitting by the shore, they chose out the good into 
vessels, but the bad they cast forth. So shall it be at the end of the 
world. The Angels shall go out, and shall separate the wicked from 
among the just. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire : there 
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have ye understood all 
these things ? They say to him : Yea. He said unto them : There- 
fore every scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven, is like to a 
man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure new 
things and old. 

Explanation. 

The hidden treasure is faith in the Crucified, who remains 
concealed from the wise of this world by reason of their pride ; 
the hiding of the treasure denotes that faith is to be preserved 
only by humility ; the selling of all that he hath, teaches that, 
for the sake of the faith, we must sacrifice all things, do all 
things, suffer all things. The parable of the merchant fur- 
nishes the same lesson. By the parable of the net, the Lord 
teaches that the universal visible Church of Christ, the king, 
dom of God upon earth, contains not only the elect, but those 
also who shall be condemned — the bad as well as the good. 
At the end of the world there will be a separation, and the 
bad shall be cast into everlasting fire. Alas for them ! Would 
that they might reflect, and be prudent in time ! 

Aspiration to St. Ami. 

Hail, O blessed mother Ann ! Blessed art thou, who, for our 
consolation, didst bear the mother of our Redeemer. With 
the greatest veneration, therefore, and full of confidence, we 
approach thee, beseeching thee that thou wouldst supplicate 
our divine Saviour to bestow upon us the graces which we 
need to follow thy ardent devotion, thy fear of God, and to 
render us worthy one day to behold in heaven the blessed 
fruit of thy Virgin Daughter's womb, Jesus, and to rejoice 
forever in the contemplation of him. 



796 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

least of St. Ignatius Cogoia. 

JULY 31. 
His Life. 

From time to time heretical teachers have arisen in the 
Christian Church, but God has also ever raised up holy men, 
filled with his Spirit, to combat them. Of this sort was Igna- 
tius, whom, with his companions, God opposed to the Luther- 
ans, Calvinists, and others. He was born in the year 1491, at 
the castle of Loyola, in Spain. Being severely wounded at the 
defence of Pampeluna (1521), he was, while on his sick bed, so 
much affected by reading the lives of Christ and of the saints, 
that he formed the resolution to devote the remainder of his 
life wholly to the Lord and his Church. In the year 1534, at 
Paris, he, with six companions (one of whom was St. Francis 
Xavier), took a vow to labor for the salvation of souls. To 
this they joined, at a later day, the vows of poverty, of chas- 
tity, of perpetual obedience under a spiritual superior chosen 
by themselves, and also a special vow by which they bound 
themselves to go to any place whatever, to which the chief 
pastor of the Church might send them, for the work of saving 
souls, and that without securing means for their sustenance, 
but relying only upon the charity of their neighbor. Pope 
Paul III., in the year 1540, confirmed this new order, of which 
St. Ignatius was chosen the first general, and gave it the name 
of " The Society of Jesus." Ignatius continued to labor for 
the salvation of himself and of others with unwearied zeal, and 
died completely worn out, on July 31, 1556, pronouncing, in 
his last moments, the name of " Jesus." St. Ignatius is repre- 
sented in the habit of the Jesuits, the sweet name of Jesus 
(I. H. S.) either on his breast, or within a sun which he holds 
in his hand. 

Epistle. (2 Tim. ii. 8-10; iii. 10-12.) See p. 737. 
Gospel. (Luke x. 1-9.) See p. 724. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 797 

Prayer. 

God, who, through blessed Ignatius, didst strengthen thy 
Church militant with new support, for the propagation of the 
greater glory of thy name, grant that, fighting with his help 
and imitating him on earth, we may deserve to be crowned 
with him in heaven. Who livest. 



£cast of St. £atorence, iflarttir. 

AUGUST 10. 
His Life. 

St. Lawrence, a youth endowed with rare gifts of mind and 
body, out of love to God and for the salvation of his soul, chose 
the ecclesiastical state at a time when Christians, and particu- 
larly priests, were exposed to great danger by reason of the 
continual persecution of tyrants. On account of his singular 
merit he was, notwithstanding his youth, appointed by Pope 
Sixtus to be archdeacon, in which office, besides his service at 
the altar, there fell to him the care of the church treasury, and 
of the poor. When, in the year 258, the bishops and priests 
were, by command of the Emperor Valerian, sought out, Sixtus 
was also taken prisoner, and borne away to be put to death. 
As Lawrence saw him led away to death, he cried out to him, 
with tears, "Whither are you going, my father, without your 
son ?" Sixtus comforted him, and said to him, in the spirit of 
prophecy, that in three days a greater martyrdom should be- 
fall him, and that meanwhile he should guard the treasures of 
the church. Lawrence heard him with joy. Valerian, when 
this was reported to him, required Lawrence to give up the 
church treasures. He obtained three days' time to consider 
this demand, and when that was expired, brought before the 
emperor the poor, among whom he had distributed the church 
property. Enraged thereat, the tyrant demanded that he 
should renounce the Christian faith. But Lawrence firmly con- 
fessed it, and was thereupon roasted alive by a slow fire, upon 
an iron grate. He bore this horrible death joyfully, and even 






798 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

said laughingly to the tyrant, that he ought to cut a piece 
from his broiled body. He closed his earthly life with the 
most tender thanksgivings that God had thought him worthy 
to suffer so much, in order to enter upon life eternal. He that 
hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal (John 
xii. 25). 

Introit of the Mass. Praise and beauty are before him; 
holiness and majesty in his sanctuary (Ps. xcv.) Sing ye to 
the Lord a new canticle; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Glory 
be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

We beseech thee, Almighty God, that thou, who didst assist 
St. Lawrence to overcome the fire of bodily torment, wouldst 
enable us to extinguish the flame of our vices, through Jesus 
Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen. 

Epistle. (2 Corinthians ix. 6-10.) 

Now this I say. He who soweth sparingly, shall also reap sparingly, 
and he who soweth in blessings, shall also reap of blessings. Every 
one as he hath determined in his heart, not with sadness, or of ne- 
cessity : for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make 
all grace abound in you: that ye always having all sufficiency in all 
things, may abound to every good work, as it is written: He hath 
dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor: his justice remaineth 
forever. And he that ministereth seed to the sower, will both give 
you bread to eat, and will multiply your seed, and increase the growth 
of the fruits of your justice. 

Explanation. 

This passage most suitably applies to St. Lawrence, who, by 
doing good to the poor, sowed abundantly for the day of the 
the eternal harvest. In like manner, the poor are to us a field, 
which, the more plentifully we sow it with alms-deeds, the 
more plentifully does it bring forth fruit. But that alms may 
be fruitful, they must be given with cheerfulness. A sour 
temper and want of cheerfulness are signs of avarice. Let us 
do good, then ! What we give to the poor, we deposit, so to 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 799 

speak, in God's treasury, from which we shall receive it again 
with-ftch interest. 

Gospel. (John xii. 2^26.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples : Amen, amen, I say to yon, 
unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground, die, itself remaineth 
alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth 
his life shall lose it : and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth 
it unto life eternal. If any man minister to me, let him follow me : 
and where I am, there also shall my minister be. If any man minis- 
ter to me, him will my Father honor. 

What are we to understand by the grain of wheat which 
dies? 

1. Christ, our Lord, who must die in order to bring forth 
the fruits of redemption, his own glorification, and the con- 
version of men. 2. Every true Christian who, by mortifying 
his lusts and evil inclinations, brings forth the fruits of eternal 
life. Every such mortification is a kind of martyrdom, and as 
such will be gloriously rewarded by God. Kill and crucify 
the body, says St. Chrysostom, and you will gain the crown of 
martyrdom. To suffer patiently disgrace, injustice, and perse- 
cutions, to love those who hate us, is, says St. Gregory, a mar- 
tyrdom of the soul;' and St. Augustine writes: The whole life 
of the Christian, if led according to the Gospel, is a continual 
cross and martyrdom. 

What is it to hate his life f 

To reject whatever is injurious to the soul. But such hatred 
is true love, because thereby the soul is preserved to eternal 
life; whereas, by allowing the soul, out of inordinate love, 
whatever it desires, it is ruined forever. Thus, it is charity to 
a sick man not to give him what is injurious to him, though 
he may desire it vehemently. To such hatred, or rather to 
such true love of our souls, the Holy Ghost encourages us in 
Ecclesiasticus xviii. 20. Go not after thy lusts, but turn away 
from thy oicn will. If thou give to thy soul her desires, she 
will make thee a joy to thy enemies. 



800 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus, blessed fruit of the virgin womb of Mary, we 
thank thee that thou wast pleased, through thy incarnation, 
to suffer so bitter a death, in order to accomplish our eternal 
salvation. Oh that we rightly knew this grace, and by our 
lives imitated thee, as, like so many thousand martyrs, St. Law- 
rence did, who, by joyfully suffering frightful torments upon 
the fiery grate, glorified thy name before the whole world ! 
Grant us the strength, with the patience, to bear the adversi- 
ties thou mayest send upon us, and so to serve thee that we 
may be eternally honored as true and faithful servants, by thy 
Father. Amen. 






Scast of tl)£ Assumption of t\)c !3Usseb birgin Jttarg. 

AUGUST 15. 

Why is this feast so called ? 

Because, on this day, according to a very old and pious belief, 
the Blessed Virgin was, in body and soul, taken up into 
heaven. This feast is of very great antiquity ; it was fixed on 
the 15th August at the request of the Emperor Maurice, and 
afterwards, by Pope Leo IV., was extended to the whole 
Church. 

Why are plants blessed on this day ? 

The Church does it, 1. To testify her joy at the glorious 
victory gained by Mary over death, the devil, and the world, 
and at the splendid triumph with which, adorned with so many 
virtues, as with flowers, she entered into heaven. 2. That 
these plants, so blessed, may serve to the welfare, in soul and 
body, of all who use them. 

At the Introit of the Mass the Church invites us to universal 
joy by singing, "Let us all rejoice in the Lord, celebrating this 
festival in honor of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, on whose 
assumption into heaven the angels rejoice and give praise to 
the Son of God." My heart hath uttered a good word, I speak 
my ivorks to the king.- Glory be to the Father. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 801 



Prayer. 

Pardon, we beseech thee, O Lord, the sins of thy servants, 
that we, who are not able to please thee by our deeds, may 
be saved by the intercession of the Mother of thy Son. Who 
livest. 

Epistle. (Ecclus. xxiv. 11-20.) 

In all I sought rest, and I shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord. 
Then the Creator of all things commanded, and said to me : and he 
that made me rested in my tabernacle. And he said to me : Let thy 
dwelling be in Jacob, and tlfy inheritance in Israel, and take root in 
my elect. From the beginning, and before the world, was I created, 
and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy 
dwelling-place I have ministered before him. And so was I estab- 
lished in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power 
was in Jerusalem. And I took root in an honorable people, and in 
the portion of my God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full 
assembly of saints. I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a 
cypress-tree on mount Sion. I was exalted like a palm-tree in Cades, 
and as a rose-plant in Jericho : as a fair olive-tree in the plains, and 
as a plane-tree by the water in the streets, was I exalted. I gave a 
sweet smell like cinnamon, and aromatical balm : I yielded a sweet 
odor like the best myrrh. 

Explanation. 

At the beginning of this epistle the divine wisdom declares 
how she seeks to communicate herself to all nations, but has 
taken up her proper abode only among the chosen people, by di- 
vine revelation. And as this abode Avas in the womb of the 
Most Blessed Virgin, we see at once why what is said of wisdom 
is by the Church applied to her. To her God said, as it were, 
on this day, " Possess the abode destined for thee from all eter- 
nity, and the inheritance intended for thee as first among the 
elect." There she surpasses in glory all other creatures, as the 
cedar surpasses all other trees ; there she shines in the most 
splendid garments, like the ever-blooming rose of Jericho; 
from thence, at her intercession, the oil of divine mercy flows 
down upon the exiled children of Adam, whom she shades, 
84- 



802 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

like the plane-tree, with her love, while like cinnamon, balsam, 
and myrrh, she refreshes with the sweet odor of her virtues, 
for the imitation of which she implores for them the grace 
of God. 

Supplication. 

O Mary, draw us after thee, that through thy intercession 
we may obtain mercy, and dwelling under the shadow of thy 
protection, may become partakers of heavenly happiness. 

Gospel. (Luke x. 38-42.) 

At that time, Jesus entered into a certain town ; and a certain 
woman named Martha, received him into her house. And she had 
a sister called Mary, who sitting also at the Lord's feet, heard his 
word. But Martha was busy about much serving. Who stood and 
said : Lord, hast thou no care that my sister hath left me alone to 
serve? speak to her therefore, that she help me. And the Lord an- 
swering, said to her : Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and art 
troubled about many things. But one thing is necessary. Mary hath 
chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her. 

Why does the Church read this gospel to-day ? 

Because it readily admits of being applied to Mary, the 
Mother of God, since she, far more worthily and lovingly than 
Martha, received, fed, and served the Son of God ; with more 
fervor and attention, too, than Martha's sister, had she heard 
the word of God, kept it in her heart, and fulfilled it, and in 
both cases she chose the best part, because she did both with 
the greatest perfection, and thereby obtained the most glori- 
ous reward, which no one shall ever take from her. 

What should we learn from these two sisters ? 

That like Martha, by whom is represented the life of action 
and business, we should be diligent in fulfilling the duties of 
our vocation, and in practising good works ; but that thereby 
we should not forget to be like Mary, by whom is represented 
the life of contemplation, to be fervent in prayer, in hearing 
the word of God, in meditating upon it, upon the divine per- 
fections, and upon ourselves, in order to render all our works 
acceptable and meritorious in the sight of God, to sanctify 



THE EPISTLES AND GQSPELS. 803 

ourselves, and become worthy of eternal happiness. This con- 
templative life Christ calls the best part, because, without it, 
all life and works are but a body without a soul. 

What is the one thing necessary ? 

It is to seek in all things, and before all things, the glory of 
God and the salvation of the soul. Let a man, therefore, ful- 
fil the duties which are binding upon him; let him take care 
even for temporal subsistence ; be diligent and active ; but in 
so doing, let him look only to God, avoid all uneasiness and 
distraction, all extravagance and excess, all that is unjust, and 
sooner sacrifice every thing than suffer injury to his soul. Oh, 
take care in this way to secure the one thing that is necessary ! 
Of what avail is ah else ? 

Aspiration. 

Oh, that I had hitherto cared more for the one thing that is 
necessary ! Oh, unhappy hours which I have squandered on 
the world, in vanity or pleasure! Ah, where are you now? 
What shall I one day have from you in eternity ? Sorrow and 
despair. Would that I might recall my life so unprofitably 
spent ! But since that is not possible, I beseech thee, O most 
merciful God, that thou wouldst grant me the grace to devote 
the rest of my life to thy service, and to working out the sal- 
vation of my soul. 

Meditation on the Assumption of Mary. 

I. When, where, and how Mary died, we do not positively 
know. But the belief, supported by a tradition which loses 
itself in the remotest antiquity, has always been maintained in 
the Catholic Church, that she died at the time when the 
Apostles, who had before been dispersed in the wilderness, 
assembled at Jerusalem, and that she was buried in the garden 
of Gethsemane. At the request of St. Thomas, who arrived 
three days thereafter, her grave was opened, but nothing was 
found therein except the winding-sheet ; from which the conclu- 
sion was drawn that the Lord had preserved her mortal remains 
from corruption, and that exempting her from that general 



804 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

law, as he had before exemj^ted her from partaking in original 
sin, he had received her at once into heaven. What else was 
fitting for her from whom the God-man took his humanity ; for 
her who was the daughter of the heavenly Father, the spouse 
of the Holy Ghost ? 

II. Throned in heaven, Mary now enjoys all the happiness 
of which a creature is capable. As this happiness is by the 
grace of God, so it was necessary for her to co-operate with 
that grace : her happiness is also the reward of her virtues. 
Would you come to the like joys ? Consider that there is no 
other way for you, than that in which Mary walked — the way 
of virtue. 

III. Mary is now the queen of all angels and men, our 
mother, the help of Christians, the consolation of the afflicted, 
the refuge of sinners, the channel through which, as the holy 
fathers say, God distributes his grace to men. Her love 
towards us is without bounds, her intercession with God all- 
prevailing. How consoling ! Let us, therefore, fly to her in 
all our troubles, and we shall surely experience the power of 
her motherly intercession. 

Prayer of St. Bernard to Mary. 

O glorious queen of heaven and earth, at whose assumption 
the princes of the heavenly court cried out with astonishment, 
" Who is this that cometh up from the desert, flowing with 
delights?" and sang songs of praise, procure for us through 
thy all-powerful intercession, the graces of which we stand in 
need. Obtain forgiveness for sinners, health for the sick, 
strength for the faint-hearted, comfort for the afflicted, help for 
those in danger, and deliverance for all thy children. Oh, 
pray on this day of joy that Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord, 
he who is God, blessed forever, may grant his grace to all who 
devoutly call upon thy name. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 805 

iFeast of St. loacl)im. 

SUNDAY AFTER ASSUMPTION DAY. 

LLis Life. 

Joachim, also called in the gospel Heli, the happy father of 
Mary, and grandfather to Jesus, came of the royal line of David, 
and was from his youth brought up in piety and the fear of God. 
His married life with the pious and chaste Ann was childless until 
they had reached a great age. His continual prayer and other 
good works were then rewarded by God with that blessed 
child, whose birth was the beginning of our salvation. He 
reared her in the fear of the Lord, offered her in her tenderest 
years to God in the temple at Jerusalem, and soon after gave 
up his spirit into the hands of his Creator. Oh, that all Chris- 
tian parents might learn from the parents of Mary to train up 
their children, not for the world, but for God, from whom 
they have received them, and who will one day require 
them again from their hands ! 

Aspiration. 

Oh, blessed and happy pair, Joachim and Ann, to whom 
the Almighty gave for a daughter the Immaculate Virgin, the 
mother of our Lord Jesus Christ ; a grace which is a speaking 
evidence of your purity, and of your lives being perfectly 
ordered according to the will of God ! Oh, obtain for me grace, 
that I may serve God chastely. Procure also for all Christian 
parents the help of the Almighty, that they may bring up 
their children in piety, and thereby become worthy to partake 
of your happiness. Amen. 

At the Introit of the Mass, the Church particularly praises 
the liberality of Joachim to the poor, and sings from Psalm 
cxi. He hath distributed, he hath given to the poor • his jus- 
tice rernaineth forever and ever ; his home shall be exalted in 
glory. Blessed is the man that fear eth the Lord, he delighteth 
exceedingly in his commandments. Glory be to the Father. 



806 INSTRUCTIONS ON 



Prayer. 

O God, who wast pleased that, before all thy saints, blessed 
Joachim should be the father of her who bore thy Son, grant, 
we beseech thee, that we may ever experience his patronage 
whose festival we celebrate. Through the same Jesus Christ. 

Epistle. (Ecclus. xxxi. 8-11.) See p. 749. 

Explanation. 

According to the declaration of the Holy Ghost, that man 
is blessed who leads an innocent and undefiled life before God, 
and flies from every shadow of sin as from a poisonous serpent ; 
who does not pursue riches and treasures, and puts not his 
trust in gold, the idol and seducer of so many souls. He ac- 
complishes a greater miracle than if he ruled over the ele- 
ments ; and he who has been thus proved is perfect, and merits 
eternal glory. Blessed also is he who, upon an opportunity to 
sin, does not offend God, and cannot be brought to sin, how- 
ever strongly enticed thereto, for such resistance is very diffi- 
cult : whence it is evident that we ought in no case voluntarily 
to encounter the occasion of sin, but rather carefully to shun 
it. Finally, he is blest, who, after the example of St. Joachim, 
assists the needy according to his ability. He thereby lays up 
treasure before the Lord, a rich reward in heaven. Live, then, 
O Christian, an unstained life ; love not gold ; fly from the oc- 
casions of sin ; be kind to the poor, and you will be blessed 
even here on earth. 

[For the Gospel, see the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.] 






THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 807 

Jfrast of St. JSartljolometD, ^postU. 

AUGUST 24. 

His Life. 

Bartholomew, of Cana, in Galilee, is probably that Nathaniel 
who was brought to Christ by Philip (John i. 45). Chosen an 
Apostle, he was an eye and ear witness of all the great things 
which the Lord did. Filled with the Holy Ghost, he journeyed 
to India, preached the gospel everywhere, and converted great 
numbers to Christ. Returning thence, he came, after many 
labors and sufferings for Christ's sake, to Greater Armenia, 
smote with dumbness the devils which used idols as their in- 
struments, and cast them out of many persons, one of whom 
was a royal princess; by which acts he converted a great multi- 
tude of persons, together with her parents, to the faith. At 
last he was cruelly tormented, flayed alive, and then beheaded 
by Astyages, brother to the king, at the instigation of the idol- 
atrous priests. His body was brought to Rome in the year 983, 
where it is yet venerated in the church of St. Bartholomew. So 
much St. Bartholomew did and suffered that he might obtain 
the kingdom of heaven, and be a faithful disciple of Jesus ; 
and you, O Christian, what are you doing and suffering ? 

[For the Introit of the Mass, see Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle.] 

Prayer. 

Almighty, everlasting God, who hast granted us a venerable 
and holy joy on this day, in the festival of thy blessed Apostle 
Bartholomew, grant to thy Church, we beseech thee, both to 
love what he believed, and to preach what he taught. Through 
our Lord. 

Epistle. (1 Cor. xii. 27-31.) 

Brethren: You are the body of Christ, and members of member. 
And God indeed hath set some in the Church, first apostles, secondly 
prophets, thirdly, doctors, after that miracles, then the graces of heal- 
ings, helps, governments, kinds of tongues, interpretations of speeches. 
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all doctors? Are all work- 



808 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ers of miracles? Have all the grace of healing? Do all speak with 
tongues ? Do all interpret ? But be zealous for the better gifts. 

Explanation. 

By the above words the Apostle teaches us, that all the faith- 
ful, by virtue of the one true faith, compose the body of Christ. 
No one is the whole body ; each one is only a member. No 
one, therefore, should exalt himself above others, for all are 
necessary. No one should desire offices which lie out of his 
vocation, but each one should keep to that place in the body 
which is assigned to him — that is, to his calling ; should labor 
therein with zealous love, and thereby contribute his share to 
the prosperity of the whole Church. Has God called you to 
be a laborer, envy not the proprietor. Is another more skilful 
than you, be content with your own gifts ; does he fill a higher 
office, murmur not ; for as in the body of man all the members 
cannot be eyes, so in the spiritual body of the Church all can- 
not be in high office and position. But what all can and should 
do, is to be zealous for greater sanctity and charity — for this 
is, for king and for beggar, the only way to eternal life. 

Gospel. (Luke vi. 12-19.) 

At that time: Jesus went out into a mountain to pray, and he 
passed the whole night in the prayer of God. And when day was 
come, he called unto him his disciples; and he chose twelve of them 
(whom also he named Apostles): Simon whom he surnamed Peter, 
and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 
Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon who is 
called Zelotes, and Jude the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot who 
was the traitor. And coming down with them, he stood in a plain 
place, and the company of his disciples, and a very great multitude of 
people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea-coast both of Tyre 
and Sidon, who were come to hear him, and to be healed of their 
diseases. And they that were troubled with unclean spirits, were 
cured. And all the multitude sought to touch him, for virtue went 
out from him, and healed all. 

Why does Jesus go up into the mountain to pray ? 
To withdraw from the throng of people, and to teach us, as 
St. Bonaventure says, that he who would pray earnestly must 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 809 

lift up his mind altogether to God, and rise up from out of 
the depths of temporal and earthly things, if he would have 
his prayer of any avail. 

Why does Christ pray by night ? 

1. To teach us that we must not only work, but also pray; 
2. That the night is particularly fitted for prayer; since all 
things are then still and at rest, and we thereby are better en- 
abled to collect our thoughts ; 3. That we should by prayer 
arm ourselves against the wiles of the enemy, and against the 
temptations of the night ; 4. To ask for the grace which Ave 
need by day, for ourselves and for our neighbor. 

Christ was accustomed, says St. Gregory, to pray at night, 
because during the day he was occupied in teaching and work- 
ing miracles for the salvation of his neighbor — man. How 
praiseworthy, therefore, is the order of those households in 
which it is customary to say in common, every day, the holy 
rosary, or litany, and the night prayers ! 

Why did Christ pray on this night in particular ? 

Because he was about to choose the next day twelve of his 
disciples to be Apostles, which was certainly a matter of the 
greatest importance. According to the example of Christ and 
his Apostles, the Church yet, on the four ember-seasons, fasts 
and prays for those who receive holy orders, because on the 
priest depends the welfare or the woe of the people. Let us, 
then, pray fervently, especially on the ember-days, that God 
may send us worthy priests and pastors of souls, and richly 
crown their labors for the salvation of souls. 

And coming down with them, all the multitude sought to 
touch him, for virtue went out from him, and healed all. 
Thus Christ always joined temporal with spiritual benefits. 
Superiors, and particularly spiritual superiors, should take care 
to do likewise ; for corporal benefits draw to them the hearts 
of people, as the magnet draws the iron, and their teachings 
and admonitions find the easier entrance when accompanied 
by temporal benefits. 



810 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Aspiration to St. Bartholomew. 

O St. Bartholomew, who out of love to Christ didst not 
only part with thy goods, but didst also endure the most cruel 
death, pray God for me, a vain child of this world, that for 
love to my Saviour I may readily and joyfully renounce every 
thing earthly and temporal, crucify my flesh, and become 
thereby worthy to follow thee in heaven. Amen. 



JFeast of St. Augustine. 

AUGUST 28. 
His Life. 

St. Augustine was born in the year 354, at Tagaste, a town 
of Numidia, in Africa. His father, who was first converted 
to Christianity in the year 371, was Patricius, his mother, St. 
Monica. His parents bestowed great care upon his education ; 
and Augustine made at Carthage great progress in knowledge, 
but showed less proficiency in virtue ; for he allowed himself 
to be led into many kinds of sin, and fell also into the heresy 
of the Manichees. St. Monica, day and night, besought God 
to have mercy upon her son. Her prayer was heard. From 
Rome, whither he had gone from Carthage, Augustine came 
to Milan. Here he often heard St. Ambrose preach, and by 
degrees the truth of Christianity found entrance into his heart. 
One day, while meditating in a garden, he heard repeated 
several times, as if by boys singing, the words, "Take it and 
read." He thereupon took up the Holy Scriptures and read 
the words upon which his eyes happened first to fall, and 
which was that passage in Romans xiii. 13, 14, Let us walk 
honestly as in the day, not in chambering and impurities, not in 
contention and envy, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscences. From 
that moment his return to God was resolved upon, to the 
greatest joy of his mother, St. Monica, who had come to Milan 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 811 

on his account. Augustine was baptized in the year 387 ; after 
the happy death of his mother he returned to Tagaste, and 
afterwards removed to Hippo (Bona), in Africa, of which city 
he was chosen bishop, in the year 395. After having lived a 
uniformly holy life, in the course of which he wrote many 
books concerning Christianity, he died in September, 426. St. 
Augustine is the patron-saint of doctors of theology, and is 
represented as a bishop, with a book, holding in his hand a 
burning heart, and having an eagle (the emblem of the evangel- 
ist St. John) by his side. 

Epistle. (2 Tim. iv. 1-8.) 

Dearly beloved : I charge thee before God and Jesus Christ, who 
shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming, and his kingdom : 
Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, en- 
treat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine. For there shall be a time, 
when they will not endure sound doctrine: but according to their 
own desires they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching 
ears, and will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but 
will be turned unto fables. Be thou vigilant, labor in all things, do 
the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy ministry. Be sober. For I am 
even now ready to be sacrificed : and the time of my dissolution is at 
hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have 
kept the faith. As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of 
justice, which the Lord the just judge will render to me in that day: 
and not only to me, but to them also that love his coming. 

Gospel. (Matt. v. 13-19.) 

At that time Jesus said to his disciples: You are the salt of the 
earth. But if the salt lose its savor, wherewith shall it be salted ? It 
is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and to be trodden on 
by men. You are the light of the world. A city seated on a moun- 
tain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a 
bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are 
in the house. So let your light shine before men, that they may see 
your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Do not 
think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not 
come to destroy, but to fulfil. For amen I say unto you, till heaven 
and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall not pass from the law, till 
all be fulfilled. He therefore that shall break one of these least com- 



812 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

mandments, and shall so teach men, shall be called the least in the 
kingdom of heaven. But he that shall do and teach, he shall be 
called great in the kingdom of heaven. 

Prayer. 

Attend to our supplications, O Almighty God, and by the 
intercession of blessed Augustine, thy confessor and bishop, 
graciously grant the effect of thy wonted mercy to those, to 
whom thou grantest confidence to h&pe for forgiveness. 
Through our Lord. 



feast of St. Stephen, flSiita, of ijjttngarjj. 

SEPTEMBER 2. 

Sis Life. 

Stephen was born at Grun, in Hungary, in the year 969. 
His father, the fourth duke of Hungary, was Gaisa, and his 
mother Sarloth. Before the birth of their son they were, with 
many other noble Hungarians, converted to the Christian faith. 
They provided for their son the best teachers, who gave him 
instruction suitable to his parentage. Upon the death of his 
father, in the year 997, the great work of Christianizing this 
idolatrous nation was first begun, and was completed by Ste- 
phen with success proportionate to the zeal with which he had 
prosecuted it. In order to devote himself entirely and with- 
out distraction to this great undertaking, and by consequence 
to the best welfare of his people, as well as to secure to himself 
the assistance of the neighboring states, in case he should need 
it, he made peace with them immediately upon entering on his 
reign. His nobles he was accustomed to assemble together, 
either in his palace or in whatever place he found himself, to 
lay before them the excellence and purity of the evangelical 
law. He often accompanied the preachers of Christianity, and 
himself appealed to his people most earnestly, to open their 
eyes to the light of truth. There were, however, many who 
remained firm in their superstition, and even went so far as to 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 813 

arm themselves to defend it. Although he was inferior to 
them in numbers, he gained a complete victory over their 
leaders. 

In gratitude he built a Benedictine convent, under the invo- 
cation of St. Martin, on the spot where the battle was fought, 
which was afterwards called the Holy Mountain. On account 
of the increasing number of Christians, Stephen had resolved 
to found an archbishop's see in Gran, and to divide his king- 
dom into ten dioceses. But as the judgment and sanction of 
the Apostolic See was requisite to the establishment of these 
bishoprics, he sent the Benedictine abbot Asterich to Rome, 
in the year 1000, to lay before Pope Sylvester II. the profes- 
sion of his obedience. He also instructed the abbot to pre- 
sent a petition that his foundations might be confirmed, and 
that the title of king might be conferred upon him by the 
Pope, to the end that the honor of it might give the greater 
weight to what he intended to do further. The Pope sent 
him a golden crown, with the title of apostolic king, and also 
presented him with a cross to be carried before him in time of 
war. On account of his particular devotion to the blessed 
Mother of God; Stephen declared her the protectress of his 
new kingdom, and built a splendid church to her honor at 
Alba, afterwards called Stuhlweissenberg, because there was 
the residence of the king. To secure quiet for his people, he 
renewed the old treaties with all his neighbors. The most ad- 
vantageous of these, both for himself and the Church, was that 
which he made with St. Henry, king of Germany, who was 
afterwards crowned emperor, since it prepared the way for his 
marrying Gisella, sister of Henry, a princess of great piety. 
She not only confirmed him in his designs for promoting the 
interests of religion, but increased, both by word and example, 
his zeal to do good. He was severe in punishing theft, mur- 
der, adultery, perjury, and blasphemy. To him is attributed 
the excellent code of laws which appeared under the name of 
his father, and which is even yet the basis of the Hungarian 
constitution. He made provision for the maintenance of poor 
families, took under his protection widows, orphans, and other 
helpless persons, and granted to all easy access to his presence. 



814 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

He went by himself, eA r en at night, and unknown, into the hos- 
pitals of the sick, to wait upon them, showing himself a most 
loving brother to the very humblest of men. He founded at 
Rome, in the rear of St. Peter's church, a hospital, which he 
endowed with an abundant income, for Hungarians who re- 
sorted to Rome to visit and venerate the holy places of the 
capital of Christianity. The holy king spent the hours of the 
day in attending to public affairs of church or state, but the 
hours of the night he devoted, in great part, to prayer, the 
reading of Holy Scripture, and meditation on eternal truths. 
When the Prince of Siebenburgen, his kinsman, invaded his 
territory, he fought a battle with him and took him prisoner, 
but afterwards gave him his liberty. The only condition he 
required upon releasing him was, that he should allow mission- 
aries to preach the Gospel openly to his people. 

There is hardly a saint who has endured such severe trials 
as this king. His children were taken from him by frightful 
sickness. Emerich, his first-born, the support and comfort of 
his father, who was canonized by Benedict IX., was the last of 
whom death deprived him. At last there came the time when 
the Lord was to reward the great virtues with which he had 
adorned this holy king. He was already much enfeebled by a 
malady which had lasted three years, when he was attacked 
by a fever which brought him to the brink of the grave. He 
received the holy sacraments with particular devotion, and 
gently yielded up his sanctified spirit, as from his tender devo- 
tion to the Mother of God he had ardently desired, on the day 
on which the Church solemnly celebrates her glorious assump- 
tion into heaven — the 15th August, 1038. He reigned forty- 
one years, reckoning from the death of his father Gaisa, and 
thirty-eight years from the time of his receiving the title of 
king ; in all, he lived sixty-nine years. His sanctity was at- 
tested by numerous miracles. Forty-five years after his death 
his sacred body was disinterred, and deposited in the magnifi- 
cent chapel at Ofen. Pope Innocent IX., in the year 1686, 
appointed his feast to be kept on the 2d September, because 
on that day the Christian army of the Emperor Leopold I., in 
union with the brave Hungarians, by the divine assistance, 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 815 

gained a glorious victory over the Turks, through the inter- 
cession of St. Stephen. This feast is celebrated in Hungary 
with great solemnity. 

[For the Introit, Epistle, and Gospel, see the Feast of St. 
Henry.] 

Prayer. 

Grant to thy Church, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that 
she may possess blessed Stephen, thy confessor, as a glorious 
intercessor and defender in heaven, whom she had as a pro- 
moter while he reigned on earth. Through Christ. 

St. Gerard was born in Yenetia, of pious and noble parents. 
He entered early into a monastery, where he fed his spirit with 
prayer and meditation. After some years, by permission of 
his superiors, he undertook a journey to Jerusalem. He di- 
rected his route through Hungary. St. Stephen, to whom he 
had become known, persuaded him to remain in Hungary. 
Seven years later he was appointed by the king to the bishop- 
ric of Ezanad, where there were many heathens, and where 
the Christians themselves were rough and ignorant. The saint 
preached the Gospel with great success in the city and in 
neighboring places. He built many churches, for which pur- 
pose he received abundant assistance from the king. He car- 
ried his charity to the poor so far as to cause their wounds to 
be dressed in his own chamber, and not unfrequently he gave 
them his own bed to sleep in, while he himself slept on the 
bare floor. He wore a penitential habit, and over that a rough 
woollen garment. In his house he often performed the tasks 
which belong to the servants. Some heathen noblemen were 
desirous of introducing idolatry again, and Andrew, a relative 
of the deceased King Stephen, who had himself been chosen 
king, acknowledged it. The saint, upon hearing this, thought 
it his duty to make earnest representations against it. Upon 
his journey with that design, certain hired assassins attacked 
him, took him from his carriage, dragged him about on the 
ground, and assailed him with stones. He prayed to God for 
liis murderers, and said, "Father, forgive them, for they know 



816 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

not what they do." While thus praying, one of the miscreants 
thrust a lance into his body, and in a few minutes he expired, 
on the 24th of September, 1046. 

Two other bishops, Bextard and Buld, shared with Gerard 
the honor of martyrdom. The Roman Martyrology gives 
him the title of Apostle of Pannonia and Hungary. The Ve- 
netians received his remains from St. Ladislaus for veneration 
in the church of our Blessed Lady at Murano. 



ifeast of tl)e Natitntn of t\)c Blesscb birgin ittart). 

SEPTEMBER 8. 

What feast is this? 

It is a commemoration of that happy and joyful day on 
which the ever-blessed Virgin Mother of God first saw the 
light of day. The Church accordingly sings, on this day, 
" Thy nativity, Virgin Mother of God, has brought joy to the 
whole world ; for from thee has come forth the Sun of Justice, 
Christ the Lord, who putting away cursing bestowed blessing, 
and by overcoming death obtained for us life eternal." 

What ought we therefore to do on this day ? 

We should from the heart rejoice that in Mary, the Mother 
of our Redeemer, there is born to us a queen, a mother, and 
an intercessor; we should accordingly honor her as becomes 
her children, and to that end imitate her virtues. In this way 
shall we make ourselves worthy of her intercession. 

Prayer of St. Aljihonsus Idguori to Mary^ on this Festival. 

O holy! O heavenly child, chosen to be the mother of my 
Saviour, the great mediatrix of miserable sinners, have mercy 
upon me. Behold prostrate before thee an ingratc who Hies 
to thee for refuge, who implores thy mercy. It is true that 
for my ingratitude to God and to thee, I have deserved to be 
forsaken by God and by thee. But I hear how thou oallest 
me, and I firmly believe, because I know how great is thy 
mercy, that thou never refusest to help him who with confi- 






THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 817 

dence commends himself to thee. O most exalted of all 
creatures — for God only is greater than thou, and the greatest 
in heaven are small in comparison of thee — O holiest of the 
saints, O Mary, fountain of grace, help me, miserable. Obtain 
for me grace, that from a sinner I may become just, and that, 
freed from all earthly inclinations, I may be entirely inflamed 
with the love of God. O my queen, accomplish this for me, 
for it is in thy power. So I hope ; so may it be. Amen. 

Supplication to Mary. — From St. Augustine. 

With the tenderest love and the purest desire, I send forth 
my sighs to thee, my mother. O that I were capable of loving 
thee worthily ! Teach me, O Immaculate Virgin, how to think 
of thee, how duly to honor thee. For my mind shall honor 
thee, my heart shall love thee, my soul shall abide in thy ser- 
vice, my whole life shall be devoted to the glory of God and 
to thy service, O Mary ! 

[The Introit of the Mass, the Collect, Epistle and Gospel are 
the same as on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception ; but 
instead of the words "Immaculate Conception," say "Na- 
tivity."] 

Meditation on the Prerogatives and Veneration of Mary. 

There is no object, after God, more entitled to claim the 
love and veneration of Christians than Mary ; and for that 
reason, next to the worship and love which Ave are bound to 
render to God, there is no devotion more profitable to us than 
the devotion to Mary. 

So have thought the saints of every age, the most enlight- 
ened and pious doctors of the Church ; so the Catholic Church 
herself has thought, acted, and decreed. Indeed, if immacu- 
late purity be worthy- of our veneration and love, where do 
we find it in the same degree as in Mary ? Holy and immacu- 
late she came from the hands of her Creator, and from the 
time that she knew him had no other object than his divine 
love. With her increasing years her love increased also. All 
her thoughts and desires, all the feelings and motions of her 
35 



818 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

heart, all her words and deeds were directed to God. Pro- 
ceeding from virtue to virtue, from grace to grace, from one 
degree of love to another still higher, she reached the highest 
degree of holiness that a creature is capable of arriving at. 
But further, the immaculate became the Bride of the Holy 
Ghost, the Mother of the Only-begotten of the Father. What 
earthly prerogative can be compared with this ? Accordingly, 
the holy fathers are never weary of praising her exaltation and 
dignity. But to this are to be added the immeasurable bene- 
fits which, through her mediation, have descended upon the 
world. Who can enumerate them ? Hence the fathers call 
her the channel of grace, and the Church gives her the titles of 
Refuge of Sinners, Comforter of the Afflicted, Health of the 
Sick, Help of Christians. Let us, then, venerate Mary with deep 
devotion, with fervent love ; let us venerate her as a Mother of 
our Lord and mother of us. Let us not listen to the mockeries 
of God-forgetting rationalists, who dishonor Christianity by 
their disrespect to Mary ; for who can love Christ and lightly 
regard his Mother ? 

Let us venerate her. In every age she has been in an es- 
pecial manner honored and pronounced blessed ; since the 
archangel called her full of grace her renown has sounded 
from century to century, and shall it now cease in our mouths ? 
In all parts of the earth she is venerated and praised, every 
day and every hour, by thousands and thousands of pious 
souls, and shall not we join voices with this sublime choir? 
Churches, communities, kingdoms, have placed themselves 
under her protection ; and where is there a Catholic village, or 
a Catholic Church in which her image is not displayed ? Let 
us unite our voices with these ; let us honor Mary, especially 
by imitation of those virtues of hers which are to us, as St. 
John Damascene says, an open book of instruction ; let us re- 
joice in her prerogatives and glory; let us encourage others in 
the veneration of her ; let us, in our need, have recourse to 
her, who, according to the name Star of the Sea with which 
the Church salutes her, shines for all who sail upon the danger- 
ous sea of the world, that they may not make shipwreck, or 
that if they should so suffer, they may, by penance, come safe 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 819 

to shore. For this reason St. Bernard calls out to each one of 
us, " Take not your eyes from the light of this star if you would 
not be overwhelmed by the waves; if the storms of temptation 
arise, if you are thrown upon the rocks of affliction, look to 
the star, invoke Mary. Are you confounded at the enormity 
of your sins, are you ashamed at the defilement of your con- 
science, are you terrified on account of the dreadful judgment, 
so that you begin to be overpowered by sadness, or even to 
sink into the abyss of despair, then turn your thoughts to 
Mary. In dangers, in distress, in doubt, call on Mary. She 
will not be far from your mouth, or your heart; and that you 
may obtain her intercession, omit not to imitate her conduct. 
When you follow her, you will not go astray; when you in- 
voke her, you will no longer be in doubt ; when she supports 
you, you will not fall ; when she leads you, you will surely come 
to eternal life, and will find by your own experience that she 
is justly called Maria — that is, Star of the Sea. 



feast of t\)c Qfcaltation of tl)e ijolg Cross. 

SEPTEMBER 14. 

This feast is a yearly commemoration of the erection, at 
Jerusalem, by Constantine the Great, and his mother, St. Hel- 
ena, of the Cross on which Christ died. This took place under 
the Emperor Heraclius, by whom the Holy Cross which Cos- 
roes, king of Persia, had carried into his own country, was, 
after fourteen years, recovered, brought back to Jerusalem, and 
borne by himself to the hill of Calvary, whither it had been 
borne by the Saviour. Upon this occasion a miracle occurred. 
As the above-mentioned emperor was about to carry the cross 
to the proper place on his shoulders, out of veneration for it, 
he found that while wearing the imperial dress he could not 
move it, until, by the advice of the Patriarch Zacharv, he laid 
aside his royal ornaments, dressed himself plainly, took off his 
shoes, and in such manner made himself like the humble Saviour. 

What should we learn by this ? 



820 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

That whoever desires to be like Christ, and to enter into the 
kingdom of heaven, must first take up his cross, remove from 
himself the pomp of the world, and humbly and patiently fol- 
low him. If the emperor could not reach the appointed place 
so long as he bore the cross wearing his royal dress, how much 
less will the Christian who leads a sensual life be able to enter 
the kingdom of God ! 

Introit of the Mass. But it behooves us to glory in the cross 
of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life, and 
resurrection (Gal. vi.) 

Prayer. 

O God, who on this day givest us joy by the annual solemnity 
of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, grant, we beseech thee, 
that we may deserve the reward of his redemption in heaven, 
whose mystery we have known upon earth. Through the 
same Lord. 

Epistle. (Philipp. ii. 5-11.) See p. 288. 

Gospel. (John xii. 31-36.) 

At that time Jesus said to the multitudes of tke Jews: Now is the 
judgment of the world : now shall the prince of this world be cast 
out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to 
myself. (Now this he said, signifying what death he should die.) 
The multitude answered him : We have heard out of the law, that 
Christ abideth for ever : and how sayest thou: The Son of man must 
be lifted up ? Who is this Son of man : Jesus therefore said to them : 
Yet a little while the light is among you. Walk while you have the 
light, that the darkness overtake you not. And he that walketh in 
darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. Whilst you have the light, 
believe in the light that you may be the children of light. 

Instruction on the Devotion of the Way of the Cross. 

What is the Holy Way of the Cross ? 

It is a devotional exercise by which we meditate upon the 
passion and death of Jesus, and particularly upon his last way 
of sorrows, from the house of Pilate to Mount Calvary. 

Constant tradition testifies that after Christ's ascension, the 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 821 

Christians living in Jerusalem were accustomed particularly to 
venerate the holy places which had been sanctified by the pas- 
sion of the divine Redeemer. But after Jerusalem fell into 
the hands of the infidels, so that thereby it became dangerous, 
and often impossible to pass over the very ground which our 
Lord had trod, the children of St. Francis of Assisi began to 
erect in their churches the fourteen stations of the Way of the 
Cross, by meditating on which the faithful might, in spirit, ac- 
company the pilgrims to Jerusalem on the way to Calvary, — - 
dwelling in thought on what Christ had suffered for men. 
Station here means a place to pause, a resting-point for medi- 
tation. This devotion has been examined and approved by 
many Popes, enriched with indulgences, and earnestly recom- 
mended to Christians. It may be found in any prayer- 
book. 

Is the Way of the Cross a profitable devotion ? 

Yes ; no exercise is more profitable to our souls than this. 
What can bring before us the love of God and the abomina- 
bleness and {rightfulness of sin, in a more vivid manner than 
the sufferings of the God-man ? How can we any longer in- 
dulge in hate, when we hear Jesus pray for his enemies ? How 
can we give ourselves up to sensuality and lust, when we see 
the divine Saviour scourged, crowned with thorns, and hang- 
ing on the cross ? How can we murmur at our trials, when 
we think that Jesus innocent takes up the cross for us guilty ? 
In truth, we should see our coldness and indifference disappear, 
as ice melts in the heat, we should grow more and more zeal- 
ous in the way of virtue, if we would but rightly meditate 
upon the passion of Christ. 

How are visits to the Stations of the Cross to be made ? 

Rightly to visit the Stations of the Cross, and to draw there- 
from real benefit, we should at each station consider with 
attention, with devotion and sorrow, what Jesus has done and 
suffered for us. We shouldmot content ourselves with merely 
reciting at each station the proper prayers and meditations, 
but should pause, to impress upon our hearts what is there 
represented, that we may be moved and quickened to whole- 
some resolutions. 



822 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

In order to gain the indulgences, we must endeavor to be in 
the state of grace, and therefore at least, by way of beginning, 
we must have perfect contrition for our sins. 

Mary, mother full of sorrow, 

Oh, divide witk me thy pain ; 
Deep upon my heart imprinted 

Let thy Jesus' wounds remain. 



jFsast of St. JftatUjetD tl)t jostle. 

SEPTEMBER 21. 

His Life. 

Matthew, also called Levi, a son of Alpheus, and brother of 
the holy Apostle James the Lesser, was a receiver in the 
Roman custom-house on Lake Tiberias. Such officers were 
hated by the Jews for their injustice, and were called publi- 
cans, or public sinners. While he was sitting at the receipt of 
custom, he was called by Christ to be one of his disciples, and 
immediately, leaving his lucrative office and all that he had, 
followed him. On account of this distinguished zeal he was 
afterwards received into the number of the Apostles. After 
the descent of the Holy Ghost he remained in Judea, preached 
the Gospel, wrote the Passion of our Lord as contained in his 
Gospel, and lived strictly in the fear of God. At a later day 
he travelled through Persia, Ethiopia, and other countries. At 
last he was killed at the altar, by command of King Hirtacus, 
for opposing his marriage with the Princess Iphigenia, who, by 
St. Matthew's direction, had vowed to God perpetual virginity. 
His holy remains were brought to Salermo in the tenth cen- 
tury. Thus may great sinners become great saints, by follow- 
ing faithfully, like St. Matthew, the voice of God. 

At the Introit of the Mass the Church sings : The mouth of 
the just shall meditate wisdom, and his tongue shall speak 
judgment ; the law of God is in his heart, &c. (Ps. lvi.) 
Glory be to the Father. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 823 

Prayer. 

May we be assisted, O Lord, by the prayers of the blessed 
Apostle Matthew, that what of ourselves we are unable to ob- 
tain, may be given to us by his intercession. Through our 
Lord. 

Epistle. (Ezech. i. 10-14, p. 724.) 

Explanation. 

This figure refers, as is well known, to the four Evangelists, 
who with one voice teach that Jesus is Man, King, Priest, and 
God. The fiery shape of this animal is an emblem of the zeal 
which should be kindled by faith in Jesus ; the wings are an 
emblem of quickness to fulfil the will of God. Would that 
such zeal and quickness were possessed by all Christians ! 

Gospel. (Matt. ix. 9-13.) 

At that time Jesus saw a man sitting in the custom-house, named 
Matthew: and he saith to him: Follow me/ And he rose up and 
followed him. And it came to pass as he was sitting at meat in the 
house, behold many publicans and sinners came, and sat down with 
Jesus and his disciples. And the Pharisees seeing it, said to his dis- 
ciples : Why doth your master eat with publicans and sinners ? But 
Jesus hearing it, said : They that are in health need not a physician, 
but they that are ill. Go then and learn what this meaneth, I will 
have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the just, but 
sinners. 

What do we learn from Matthew at once following Jesus ? 

1. That when God calls we should obey at once, lest, by not 
giving heed to his voice, he should cease to call us, or with- 
draw from us his grace. 2. To forsake the occasions of sin ; 
as St. Matthew not only left the place where he sinned, but 
abandoned entirely the very house and office which had led 
him into sin. 3. That we should not only cease to sin, but, 
like St. Matthew, should follow Christ in poverty, humility, 
meekness, patience, if we would enter the kingdom of God 
(1 John ii. 6). 

Why did Jesus eat with sinners in the house of Matthew? 



824 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

His sitting down to eat in Matthew's house shows us that 
this publican was anxious to give to others an opportunity to 
hear Jesus. In like manner a converted sinner is not satis- 
fied with his own conversion, but endeavors to bring into the 
way of salvation others also, particularly those who have been 
his companions in sin. He sat down to eat with sinners, to 
have an opportunity to convert them also. How praiseworthy 
and meritorious would it be for us to direct our conversation, 
particularly at meal-times, to profitable and holy things, and 
particularly when we ourselves, like Matthew, had been for- 
merly open sinners ! for thus we might aid in the conversion 
of sinners, which, according to the teaching of St. Dionysius, 
of all the things pleasing to God is the greatest, and, so to say, 
most God-like. 

Who are they that are in health, the sick, and the phy- 
sician ? 

They who are in health are the just, who live in the favor of 
God. How precious is such a life ! Take every care, there- 
fore, to preserve it. The sick are sinners, for every mortal sin 
defiles, wounds, or even kills the soul. How detestable, then, 
is sin, which despoils us of our greatest good ! The physician 
is Christ ; for it is said (Ps. cvi. 20), He sent his Word and 
healed them. O hasten, then, if you have sinned, to this Phy- 
sician of souls, who comes to meet you in the holy sacrament 
of penance, that he may heal you, and that you may regain 
the health of your soul. 

Aspiration to St. Matthew. 

O holy Apostle, who hast made ready for us a glorious 
feast in thy Gospel, pray for me that thy Gospel may be in 
truth food for my soul ; pray that in it I may devoutly con- 
sider the life, virtues, passion, and death of Jesus Christ, that 
I may faithfully follow, in all things, thy words, written by in- 
spiration of the Holy Ghost, and by the operation of the same 
Spirit may be able to exclaim : How sweet are thy words to 
my palate! more than honey to my mouth (Ps. cxviii. 103). 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 825 

least of St. Uupcrt, Sisljop. 

SEPTEMBER 24. 

Sis Life. 

Rupert, sprung from the line 'of the kings of the Franks, was 
already a bishop before he came to Bavaria, but probably such 
as were called regionary bishops, because they were estab- 
lished in no fixed sees. Before he left his own country, he 
lived at Worms. Theodo, duke of Bavaria, who had heard 
much of the holy life of Rupert, at the request of his wife Re- 
ginotrude, who was a zealous Christian, sent a special messen- 
ger to him, and invited him to Bavaria to preach the Gospel. 
Rupert came to Regensburg, and, with the help of two com- 
panions, in a short time succeeded so well that Theodo, to- 
gether with his son Theodobert and the nobles of his court, 
after having been properly instructed, received the holy sacra- 
ment of baptism. Rupert's ardent zeal for the salvation of 
souls impelled him to embark in a vessel on the Danube, and 
to proceed as far as Lower Pannonia, sowing everywhere the 
seed of the GospeL For some time he remained at Lorch, 
now called Ems. He thence came to a lake called the Waller- 
see, where he built a church at a place now called See-Kirch e. 
Thence he went to what was formerly Juvania, a city destroyed 
by the HerulL, which is the modern Salzburg. Here he tixed 
his see, and, by the assistance and liberality of the Duke The- 
odo, built a beautiful church in honor of St. Peter, together 
with a Benedictine monastery. Rupert was, in the year 582, 
the first bishop of the see, and at the same time was abbot. 
Observing that the harvest was great and the laborers but 
few, he returned to his own country, Australia, and brought 
back thence with him twelve new laborers for this fertile vine- 
yard, together with his niece, Ehrentrude, who became su- 
perior of a convent. Upon a hill near the city the saint 
erected the nunnery called Nonnbergh, dedicated it to the 
honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God, and ap- 
pointed his niece the abbess. Bavaria, which honors St. Ru- 
35^ 



826 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

pert as her Apostle, owes to him her two first churches, the 
so-called old chapel at Regensburg and the celebrated chapel 
at Altotting, from the last of which the holy bishop removed 
the seven planets that were there worshipped, and dedicated 
it to the blessed Queen of Heaven. After having carefully gov- 
erned his diocese forty-one years, the day of his death was re- 
vealed to him by God. On the feast of Easter, March 27, 623, 
the saint celebrated mass, chose St. Yitalis as his successor in 
the episcopal office and in the dignity of abbot, went to the 
grave which he had caused to be prepared for himself in his 
lifetime, and then expired with the words, JLord, into thy 
hands I commend my spirit. St. Rupert is the principal pat- 
ron of the arch-diocese of Salzburg. The day of the transla- 
tion of his sanctified body is there celebrated on September 24, 
with an octave. 

St. Vigilius, fifth bishop of Salzburg, in six years built a 
church specially for a cathedral, and dedicated it to the honor 
of St. Peter and St. Rupert, on September 24, V73. He re- 
moved from the conventual church of St. Peter — of which he 
continued to be abbot — the greater part of the body of St. Ru- 
pert, together with the bodies of his two chaplains, Chunibald 
and Gislar, and deposited them in the cathedral, in order that 
the future occupants of that see might have before them a 
lively memento of the example which they should strive to 
follow. Vigilius destroyed the remains of idolatry in Ca- 
rinthia, and in consequence has received the honorable title 
of Apostle of the Carinthians. He died on November 27, 
784, and was canonized by Gregory IX. in the year 1233. 

[For the Introit of the Mass, Epistle, and Gospel, see the 
Feast of # St. Liborius, p. 789.] 

Prayer. 

Grant us, Almighty God, that the venerable solemnity of 
thy holy bishop and confessor, Rupert, may increase in us 
devotion and the fruits of salvation. Through Jesus Christ. 
Amen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 827 

feast of St. iHich,ad, tl)e &rd)anigei. 

SEPTEMBER 29. 

Michael is the prince of the heavenly armies, who first con- 
tended against the proud Lucifer, and incited the other angels 
to fidelity to God. His humility, obedience, and zeal for the 
honor of God enabled him to preserve his place in heaven, 
and exalted him above the other angels, in like manner as the 
arrogance and disobedience of the proud Lucifer humbled him 
and cast him down to hell. 

The holy Church honors him as a particular defender, and 
the faithful call upon him in all dangers of soul and body, but 
they particularly implore his intercession at the hour of death, 
in order that after having, according to his example, courage- 
ously fought against Satan, they may receive the crown of vic- 
tory, and that their souls may by him be brought before the 
throne of God. Let us also venerate him, and, full of confi- 
dence, cry out with the holy Church, " Holy Archangel Mi- 
chael, protect us in battle, that we may not perish in the 
tremendous judgment." 

[For the Introit of the Mass, see the Feast of the Guardian 
Angel, p. 831.] 

Prayer. 

O God, who with wonderful order dost direct the ministry 
of angels and of men, mercifully grant that our life on earth 
may be protected by those who ever minister before thee in 
heaven. Through Christ. 

Einstle. (Apocalypse i. 1-5.) 

la those days God made known the things which must shortly 
come to pass: and signified, sending by his angel to his servant John, 
who hath given testimony to the word of God, and the testimony of 
Jesus Christ, what things soever he hath seen. Blessed is he, that 
readeth and heareth the words of this prophecy : and keepeth those 
things which are written in it. For the time is at hand. John to 
the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you and peace 



828 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

from him that is, and that was, and that is to come, and from the 
seven spirits which are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who 
is the faithful witness, the first-begotten of the dead, and the prince 
of the kings of the earth, who hath loved us, and washed us from our 
sins, in his own blood. 

(This epistle is read to-day because St. Michael so bravely 
contended against the sedition of Satan, and, after gaining the 
victory, drove him and his adherents from heaven.) 

Therefrom we may draw the following instructions: 1. By 
pride Satan fell from heaven and opened hell ; by humility 
Michael gained the victory. God assists the humble ; hu- 
mility preserves God's grace and favor. 2. Michael contend- 
ed powerfully for God, against Satan, the seducer. It is not 
enough to hate evil ; we must fight against it, and exert our- 
selves to win a victory for the truth. 3. Michael, as his name 
denotes, fought in the strength of Almighty God, whose are 
heaven and earth, and against whom no one can stand. Here 
are your arms, with which you are to overcome the world — 
immovable faith, and steadfast trust in God. Say, then, "Who 
is like God — so powerful, so wise, so rich, so worthy of love ? 
Him, therefore, will I serve faithfully." 4. A prince of heaven 
fell so low — so irredeemably. How can we boast of our own 
strength ; how can we trust our resolutions ? Oh let us, like 
Michael, be humble, watchful, trusting in God. 5. God spared 
not an angel. How can you hope to be spared, O sinner, un- 
less you change ? 

Gospel. (Matt, xviii. 1-10.) See p*. 831. 

Prayer to St. Michael, the Archangel. 

Great prince of heaven, St. Michael, to thy protection I 
commend my soul and body, and, by the glory which thou 
possessest in heaven, I beseech thee that thou wouldst ever 
assist me, particularly at the close of my life ; that thou 
wouldst strengthen my faint-heartedness, and obtain for me, 
from God, the remission of my sins, and an entire submission 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 829 

to his holy will, that my soul may depart full of comfort. Then 
receive it, and bring it, under the guidance of the holy angels, 
before the face of God, to enjoy the contemplation of him for 
all eternity. Amen. 



iFeast of tl)e $olr) ®«arbian Qtngel. 

OCTOBER 2. 

Why was this feast instituted ? 

1. To thank God that to each one of us he has given a par- 
ticular guardian angel to conduct him unharmed through the 
dangers of this world. 2. To inspire us with gratitude to the 
angels who do us such great good, and to incite us to efforts 
to render ourselves worthy of their guardianship. 

Whence do we know that every man has his own guardian 
angel ? 

From many places in Holy Scripture ; for example, Gen. 
xlviii. 16; Job xxxiii. 23; Acts xii. 15 ; particularly from the 
words of Christ, See that you despise not one of these little 
ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see 
the face of my Father, viho is in heaven (Matt, xviii. 10). The 
Catholic Church has always understood from these words that 
every man has his peculiar guardian angel. 

What is the office of a guardian angel ? 

To guard men against dangers of soul and body. The nine- 
tieth Psalm says (v.. 11), lie hath given his angels charge 
over thee to keep thee in all thy ways y in their hands shall 
they bear thee up, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone ; 
that is, that thou mayest neither fall into sin nor misfortune. 
" Oh what great regard for us," hereupon exclaims St. Bernard, 
" what wonderful love ! Who is it that has given charge ? 
God ! To whom has he given charge ? The angels, those 
noble spirits, his own household. What charge lias he given 
thern? To guard and defend us, poor men ! Lord, what is 
man, that thou art mindful of him/" St. Paul calls the 
angels ministering spirits sent to minister to them who shall 



830 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

receive the inheritance of salvation (Heb. i. 14). In Matt, 
xviii. 10; Judith xiii. 20; Luke xv. 10; Numbers xxii. 22; 
Ps. xxxiii. 8 ; xc. 11 ; Dan. vi. 22 ; Acts i. 10, 11 ; Luke xxii. 
43; xvi. 22; and innumerable other places, they are repre- 
sented as friends of children, guides of youth, defenders of in- 
nocence, promoters of good deeds, monitors against evil, guar- 
dians of the pious, protectors against misfortune, comforters in 
need, deliverers in danger, helpers in combat, companions of 
the souls in everlasting joy. 

To what ought consideration of the protection and presence 
of our guardian angel move us ? 

According to the teaching of St. Bernard : 1. To reverence 
for his presence. 2. To gratitude for his care. 3. To confidence 
and love. Besides, his presence should encourage us, 4. To 
encounter fearlessly every danger of soul and body. Why 
should we fear, says St. Bernard, when we are standing be- 
neath such powerful protection? They are faithful, strong, 
and prudent, why should we tremble ? 5. To steadfast fidelity 
towards God. Were not they also obliged to fight, and were 
not their crowns gained only after winning victory ? 6. To 
the practice of virtue, and that in secret also. For when no 
other creature sees you, the eyes of a pure, heavenly spirit are 
upon you. Oh, then, be modest, flee the shadow of evil, shun 
bad company, you who are surrounded by holy angels. 

What should we do every day, but particularly this day ? 

We should thank God for having given us guardians so 
holy and powerful, and our guardian angel himself for the help 
he has rendered us; should think of and -call upon him often, 
especially in the hour of temptation ; finally, we should promise 
fidelity and obedience to his admonitions. Whatever in this 
regard is at any time binding upon us, should especially be 
done to-day. 

Prayer. 

Almighty, Eternal God, who of thy infinite goodness hath 
given to every man, from his very birth, a guardian angel, 
grant that I may honor, love, and obey my guardian angel, 
that by thy grace and his protection, being preserved in soul 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 831 

and body, I may one day, in heaven, with him and all the holy 
angels, behold thy divine face for all eternity. 

Holy guardian angels defend us in the strife, that we perish 
not at the tremendous judgment. 

At the Introit of the Mass the Church sings, from Ps. cii., 
JBless the Lord, all ye his angels, you that are mighty in 
strength, and execute his word, hearkening to the voice of his 
orders. Bless the Lord, my soul, and let all that is within 
one bless his holy name. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who by an unspeakable providence dost vouchsafe 
to send thy angels to guard us, grant to thy suppliants to be 
ever defended by their protection, and to rejoice eternally in 
their society. Through our Lord. 

Epistle. (Exodus xxiii. 20-23.) 

Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will send my Angel, who shall go 
before thee, and keep thee in thy journey, and bring thee into the 
place that I have prepared. Take notice of him, and hear his voice, 
and do not think him one to be contemned : for he will not forgive 
when thou hast sinned, and my name is in him. But if thou wilt 
hear his voice, and do all that I speak, I will be an enemy to thy 
enemies, and will afflict them that afflict thee. And my Angel shall 
go before thee. 

Practice. 

These words, in which God required of the children of 
Israel obedience to the angel who conducted them, under the 
penalty of heavy punishment, apply to all Christians. Would 
that they might never forget that holy angels, clothed with 
the power and authority of God, stand by their side, that 
they might therefore honor and love them, and fear to do 
before them any thing that one would be ashamed to do in the 
presence of a virtuous man ! 

Gospel. (Matt, xviii. 1-10.) ' 
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying : Who thinkest thou 
is the greater in the kingdom of heaven ? And Jesus calling unto him 



832 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

a little child, set him in the midst of them, and said: Amen I say to 
you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall, 
not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall 
humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of 
heaven. And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, 
receiveth me. But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones 
that believe in me, it were better for him that a mill-stone should be 
hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth 
of the sea. "Woe to the world because of scandals. For it must needs 
be that scandals come: but nevertheless, woe to that man by whom 
the scandal cometh. And if thy hand or thy foot scandalize thee, cut 
it off, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to enter into life 
maimed or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into 
everlasting fire. And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, and 
cast it from thee. It is better for thee with one eye to enter into life, 
than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. See that you. despise 
not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their Angels in 
heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 

Brief Lessons, 

I. In the false notion that Christ was about to establish an 
earthly kingdom, and consequently out of jealousy towards 
Peter, the disciples came to Jesus with the question, Who is 
the greater in the kingdom of heaven ? Jesus avoids the ques- 
tion who is the greater in the visible Church, and teaches his 
disciples, as by words, so also by the act of pointing to an in- 
nocent child, wherein spiritual greatness consists. According 
to this, the greatest is he who is most humble. Unless you 
lay aside your pride and ambition, unless you become humble 
and unassuming, honest and open, thoughtful and believing as 
children, you cannot become citizens and heirs of the kingdom 
of God. So necessary is humility to the Christian. 

II. The least thing whatever that we do in the name of 
Jesus, he regards as done to himself. Could there be pre- 
sented a more powerful reason for not despising any one, and 
for doing good works ? But in like manner, whosoever scan- 
dalizes one of these little ones that believe in me, that is, does 
evil to him, presents to him occasions of sin, or even seduces 
him to sin outright, woe to him ! It had been better for him 
to have been drowned. What punishment then must be ex- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 833 

pected by him who gives scandal, when such a violent death 
were better for him ! Beware, then, of doing so great an evil. 

III. By the words if thy hand, &c, scandalize thee, our 
Lord teaches us that we should be firmly resolved to avoid and 
put away from us all persons and objects which are the imme- 
diate occasions of sin to us, or to those belonging: to us, even 
though they were as dear and necessary to us as our eye, our 
hand, our foot. 

IV. As a special motive to avoid giving scandal, Christ men- 
tions the holy angels, those exalted spirits to whose care is con- 
fided the care of the little ones. Indeed, how depraved must 
that man be who presumes to destroy what God has sent the 
purest and holiest spirits to preserve ! Would not such a one 
be fit servant and helper to him, who, once belonging to the 
court of God, but for his pride forever banished thence, now 
ceaselessly busies himself to destroy the kingdom of God ; 
who deceived Eve, who made Judas a traitor, Ananias a liar ; 
who goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may de- 
vour ? And will not punishment fall upon the man who gives 
scandal, when God has cast down forever even such exalted 
spirits ? Take heed, therefore, lest you give scandal. 



least of t\)c $olt) Hosar^. 

FIRST SUNDAY IN OCTOBER. 

This feast was fixed for the first Sunday in October by Pope 
Clement XI., in perpetual commemoration of a celebrated 
double victory gained by the Christians at Lepanto, in 1571, 
under Pope St. Pius V., and at Belgrade, under Pope Clement • 
XL, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, who had been 
invoked by saying the Holy Rosary. It is at the same time 
the principal feast of the Arch-confraternity of the Holy Rosary. 

What is the Holy Rosary ? 

It is a form of prayer in which there is first said the Apostle's 
Creed, and then fifteen decades, each one of which consists of 



834 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

ten Hail Marvs. Each decade has one Our Father to be said 
before it, and is followed by a meditation upon some one mys- 
tery of our redemption. It is called the Rosary, or Wreath of 
Roses, because the joyful, the sorrowful, and the glorious mys- 
teries, aptly symbolized by the leaves, the thorns, the flower, 
of which the rose consists — with the prayers and praises that 
are blended together — compose, as it were, a wreath or crown. 
It is also called the Psalter, because it contains a hundred and 
fifty Hail Marys, as the Psalter of David contains a hundred 
and fifty psalms, and because it is used in place of the singing 
of psalms, as practiced in former times. 

Is there more than one part in the Rosary? 

There are three — the joyful, the sorrowful, the glorious. 

I. The joyful part consists of the five first decades, to 
which are attached five mysteries of the incarnation of Je- 
sus Christ, through which, full of joy, we speak to Mary of 
him, 

1. Whom she conceived while a virgin; 

2. Whom she bore to Elizabeth ; 

3. Whom she brought forth while a virgin ; 

4. Whom she offered to God in the temple ; 

5. Whom she found in the temple. 
(This is said particularly in Advent.) 

II. The sorrowful part, in like manner, contains five dec- 
ades, in connection with which there are presented for our 
meditation five mysteries of the passion and death of Jesus, 

1. Who for us sweat blood ; 

2. Who for us was scourged ; 

3. Who for us was crowned with thorns ; 

4. Who for us bore the heavy cross ; 

5. Who for us was crucified. 
(This is said particularly in Lent.) 

III. The glorious part, consisting of the last five decades, 
reminds us of the glory of Christ and of the Blessed Virgin, 
by five mysteries in which we commemorate him, 

1. Who rose from the dead ; 

2. Who ascended into heaven ; 

3. Who sent to us the Holy Ghost ; 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 335 

4. Who received tliee, O Virgin, into heaven ; 

5. Who crowned thee, O Virgin, in heaven. 
(This part is said particularly at Eastertide.) 
How was this prayer introduced into the Church ? 

St. Dominic had for many years preached against the errors 
of the Albigenses and other heretics, with such zeal and pro- 
found ability that they were often convinced. But neverthe- 
less, the results were unimportant ; but few returned to the 
bosom of the Catholic Church. In this discouraging state of 
things, St. Dominic redoubled his prayers and works of pen- 
ance, and in particular besought Mary for support and assist- 
ance. One day Mary appeared to him and taught him the 
Rosary. He zealously labored to introduce everywhere this 
manner of prayer, and from that time preached with such suc- 
cess, that in a short period more than one hundred thousand 
heretics and sinners were converted. The divine origin of the 
Rosary is testified to by the bull of Gregory XIII., of the 
year 1577. 

Is the Rosary a profitable method of prayer ? 

Yes ; for by bringing before the eyes of the spirit the funda- 
mental mysteries of Christianity it supplies us with the strongest 
motives to love God, to hate sin, to subdue the passions, to 
contemn the world and its vanity, and to strive after Christian 
perfection, in order that we may gain those happy mansions 
which Jesus prepares for us. Or is there any thing that sooner 
begets a return of love, than the love of God as revealed in 
the incarnation ; any thing better adapted to arouse detesta- 
tion of sin, than a remembrance of the God-man in his suffer- 
ing ; any thing more attractive than heaven with its happiness ? 
The Rosary besides brings before us living examples — Jesus 
and Mary — whom, we must follow, and encourages us to good 
works by pointing to the all-powerful grace procured for us 
by Jesus, and the all-prevailing intercession of the gracious 
mother of God. Let no one say the continual repetition is 
wearisome. Suppose this to be the case with many : is the 
fault then in the prayers, or in them that pray ? May not as 
much be said of every prayer and prayer-book? Let us not 
be deterred by any thing from saying the Rosary; let us not 



836 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

be ashamed to carry the beads with us, for otherwise, we 
might be ashamed of being Catholics ; let us say the Rosary 
often — every evening — as was the custom with Catholics in 
former times, and we shall find that, as in St. Dominic's day 
it was a wholesome check to error, so too in our times it will 
be, if said aright, a powerful weapon against heresy and un- 
belief, and will increase faith, piety, and virtue. 

Are misbelievers, then, and would-be enlightened Catholics, 
right in despising the Rosary ? 

Surely not ; for they despise what they neither know nor 
practice. For he who would consider the entire arrangement, 
and the significance, so full of meaning, of this prayer, could 
not but rather prize it, and make use of it for the good of his 
soul. For, *not to dwell upon it, that this method of prayer 
has been daily observed by the greatest saints, as, for example, 
by a St. Francis of Sales, a St. Alphonsus Liguori, and others, 
it is a confession of our holy Roman Catholic faith, a repeated 
adoration of the most holy Trinity, and a Church-like way of 
venerating the. most Blessed Virgin, whom the Holy Ghost 
himself has pronounced blessed: at the same time it is a 
thankful commemoration and meditation upon the most holy 
and important mysteries of our religion, and particularly in 
regard to our redemption, through the incarnation, passion, and 
death of Jesus Christ. As to the frequent repetitions of Our 
Father and Hail Mary — do not the angels and saints in heaven 
before the throne of God repeat without ceasing the same song 
of praise, " Holy, holy, holy," etc. ? Can the heart that burns 
with true, deep love of God and of Mary repeat the praises of 
God and of Mary often enough ? Is it ever satiated with its 
ascriptions of praise and love ? Do we not enjoy every day, 
and, indeed, often during the day, the same bread without it 
losing its relish, or becoming distasteful or offensive ? 

How pleasing and acceptable to God is the Rosary — the 
sweet wreath of those flowers of heavenly fragrance, devotion, 
and prayer — and what powerful effects it produces before the 
throne of almightiness and mercy, God has shown, from the 
time when it was introduced, in the most striking manner, par- 
ticularly upon occasion of public or private affliction and dls- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 837 

tress ; and for this reason the Church has aimed at encour- 
aging the faithful to the diligent practice of this method of 
prayer by the indulgences which she grants to such as say the 
Rosary devoutly, in the spirit of penance and in the state of 
grace. 

O Christian, suffer not yourself to be lead astray by those 
who not only despise the prayers of the Rosary, but who 
in general use no prayers, and in their proud self-conceit often 
'oppose most important laws of the Church, so that to them 
fitly apply those words of Jesus, I confess to thee, Father, 
Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things 
from the wise and prudent^ and hast revealed them to little 
ones (Matt. xi. 25). Rather practice this method of prayer 
right diligently, according to the sense and spirit of our holy 
Church, and you will find by experience what wholesome ad- 
vantage to your soul comes thereby. 

How should we say the Rosary ? 

1. Properly; that is, as has been above described, and 
slowly, with a distinct pronunciation of the prayers and myste- 
ries. 2. Devoutly, not only with the lips, but also with the 
heart. More particularly, we ought to meditate upon the 
mysteries that come before us ; thus, at the joyful mysteries we 
should think of the infinite love of God to men and on his hu- 
miliation for us, thanking him, and promising our love to him 
in return ; at the sorrowful mysteries we should have compas- 
sion on the Saviour suffering for us, should from the heart de- 
test the sins which were the cause of his sufferings, and make 
the most earnest resolutions for the future ; at the glorious 
mysteries we should remember the glory which awaits us also, 
if we follow Jesus and Mary. 

[For the Introit of the Mass, see the Feast of the Immaculate 
Conception.] 

Prayer. 

O God, whose only-begotten Son, by his life, death, and 
resurrection, procured for us the rewards of eternal salvation, 
grant, we beseech thee, that commemorating these mysteries 
in the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may 



838 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

imitate what they contain, and possess what they promise. 
Through the same Lord. 

Epistle. (Ecclus. xxiv. 14-16.) 

From the beginning, and before the world, was I created, and unto 
the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling- 
place I have ministered before him. And so was I established in 
Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Je- 
rusalem. And I took root in an honorable people, and in the portion 
of my God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of 
saints. ' 

[For the Explanation*, see the Feast of the Assumption.] 

Gospel. (Luke xi. 27, 28.) 

And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman 
from the crowd lifting up her voice said to him : Blessed is the womb 
that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck. But he said : Yea 
rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it. 

JEJxplanation. 

1. This woman is particularly mentioned by the Evangelists, 
as Bede says, to perpetuate her fame as one who publicly and 
unshrinkingly confessed Jesus, while the Pharisees blasphemed 
and tempted him. Do you desire true fame ? Seek it by con- 
fessing Jesus. 2. By his answer, Jesus would have us under- 
stand that his mother was not to be blessed merely because she 
bore him, the Son of God, but rather because she at all times 
endeavored to keep the word of God in her heart, and to ob- 
serve it in her life. If you would be blessed, learn to be not 
only a hearer, but a doer of the word of God. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 839 

iFeast of St. irrancis of &ssisi. 

OCTOBER 4. 
Sis Life. 

St. Francis was born at Assisi, a city in the Duchy of Spo- 
leto, in Italy, in the year 1181. His father, a rich merchant, 
intended him for trade, and Francis applied himself with apt- 
ness to this employment, in which, though fond of show, he 
exhibited, at an early day, a particular love for the poor. 
Agreeable and amiable, aftable and kind to all, he was beloved 
by all around him, and the world sought to draw him to its side. 
But the love of God prevailed over the love of the world. 
Enlightened from above, and by heavenly apparitions rendered 
attentive to the call he w T as about to receive, he followed the 
leadings of grace which drew him on to imitate Christ in 
poverty and humility. Hearing one day at Mass the words of 
the Gospel : Do not possess gold, nor silver, nor money in 
your purses, nor scrip for your journey, nor two coats, nor 
shoes, nor a staff (Matt. x. 9, 10), he began to regulate the 
whole manner of his life according to this precept of the Gos- 
pel, and at once commenced to preach penance with such evan- 
gelical poverty, and with such power also, that all who heard 
him were moved to tears. Disinherited by his avaricious 
father, who was greatly displeased at his poverty and open- 
handedness towards the poor, he threw himself altogether 
upon the providence of his Father in heaven, dividing with the 
poor the alms which he thus received. The extraordinary man- 
ner of his life soon brought around him disciples, and as the 
number of them increased daily, he wrote for them a rule, and 
then set out for Rome, to procure from the Pope a confirma- 
tion of it. He came back, rejoicing in the Lord that every 
thing at Rome had gone according to his wish, and established 
himself about a mile from his native city, at a small church be- 
longing to the Benedictines, which he called Portiuncula (little 
portion). Here he led a life of the severest penance; here he 
prayed day and night, and here he laid the foundation of that 
order which has filled the world with the splendor of its vir- 



8-JrO INSTRUCTIONS ON 

tues. Here in this church, dedicated to the Virgin Mother of 
Jesus and to the Holy Angels, he received from Christ him- 
self the celebrated indulgence known throughout the whole 
Christian world as the Portiuncula Indulgence; for while the 
saiut was praying there with glowing devotion, on the day 
of the dedication of the church, in the year 1221, the Lord 
appeared to him and said : " Francis, ask whatever thou 
wilt for the salvation of the nations." He answered: "I 
desire the remission of guilt and punishment, a plenary in- 
dulgence for all who shall visit this church with contrite 
hearts and sincerely confess their sins." The Lord replied: 
" Go then to my representative, the Pope, and ask the indul- 
gence in my name." Forthwith he went to Pope Honorius 
III., who first, by word of mouth, and afterwards by a proper 
Bull, confirmed to him the indulgence. The same indulgence 
was, at a later day, extended to all churches of the Francis- 
cans, and by Pope Pius VII. to all parish churches (at least to 
all in Bavaria), and may be gained on the first Sunday in 
August of every year. 

Burning with desire for the salvation of the people, St. 
Francis with his brethren, whom he sent out two by two to 
preach penance and the peace of God, labored to establish 
everywhere the kingdom of heaven. His love for sinners, and 
his ardent zeal for the salvation of souls, impelled him to visit 
remote parts of the world, to preach the Gospel to unbelievers. 
For this he was rewarded by God with miraculous graces, 
among which there is particularly to be mentioned that which 
was granted him upon Mount Alverno. While he was there 
engaged, separated from the world, in fasting and praying for 
forty days, as he was accustomed to do often, the Saviour ap- 
peared to him in the form of a seraph on the cross, and im- 
printed the five wounds of his own body on the body of St. 
Francis. On account of this, and for his ardent love for Jesus 
crucified, St. Francis received the surname of Seraph. 

After this event the saint lived two years in manifold bodily 
distress and sickness, without murmur or complaint, with per- 
fect msignation to the will of God. Some time before his 
death he caused his will to be written, in which he left to his 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 841 

brethren poverty, as an inheritance in which they should find 
great treasure for heaven. As the hour of his dissolution drew 
nigh he had the passion of Christ read to him : he then said 
the 141st Psalm, and at the words, Bring my soul out of 
prison that I may praise thy name, he expired happy in the 
Lord, on the 4th October, 1226, in the 45th year of his age. 

St. Francis founded three orders : the first and proper order 
of Franciscans, or the order of Friars Minor ; then the order 
of Franciscan Nuns, or Clares, so called from St. Clare, their 
first superior ; and lastly, that called the third order, for 
people in the world, of both sexes, who aim at perfection but 
do not desire to make the vows of the cloister. This last 
order, which has been approved by many Popes, particularly 
by Gregory IX., Innocent IV., and Nicholas IV., has spread 
throughout the whole world, and is becoming in our day more 
and more flourishing. 

[For the Epistle, see the Feast of St. Aloysius, p. 749 ; for 
the Gospel, see the Feast of St. Matthew, p. 823.] 

Prayer. 

O God, who by the merits of blessed Francis dost increase 
thy Church by a new progeny, grant us by imitating him to 
despise earthly things, and ever to rejoice in the participation 
of heavenly gifts. Through Christ. 



feast of St. (Bail 

OCTOBER 16. 

Sis Life. 

St. Gall was born in Ireland, and in his early youth was 
intrusted to St. Columba to be instructed, from whom he 
received also the religious habit. He was one of the twelve 
disciples who, with St. Columba, crossed over into France in 
the year 585. But Columba was obliged to leave the country 
on account of having censured the king Theodoric, for his 
36 



842 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

unlawful, unchaste life with the infamous Brunehilde. They 
proceeded as far as Lake Zurich, in Switzerland, where they 
commenced with zeal the work of conversion. Driven thence 
by the idolaters, they returned to Bregens. Here they tilled 
the land, and at the same time by their preaching gained so 
much influence, that they were suffered to throw into the lake 
the idols which had been set up in a chapel, and to pour out 
the beer which the inhabitants were accustomed to offer to 
Woden. This good success soon came to an end. Two of 
the disciples of St. Columba were killed by the inhabitants, 
and the missionaries were ordered by Duke Gunzo to depart, 
under the plea that their residence was injurious to the royal 
hunting-ground. Columba went to Italy, where, in the 
Milanese district, he commenced the convent of Bobbio, in 
which two years later he died happily, in the year 615. St. 
Gall being sick with a fever was unable to follow him, and ac- 
cordingly caused himself to be conveyed to Arbon to the priest 
Willimar, at whose house he soon recovered. At Arbon, while 
engaged in choosing a place where he might continue his 
accustomed manner of life, he cast his eyes upon the moun- 
tains lying behind Arbon, which at that time were bordered 
on all sides by thick woods. He chose the pleasant valley 
which is watered by the small rivers Steinach and Irrbach. 
About the year 614, with two disciples, he entered this soli- 
tude, caused the trees to be felled, the timber removed, and 
some cells to be built. This was the small beginning of what 
afterwards was the so celebrated convent of St. Gall. The 
saint learned the language of the country, labored for the con- 
version of the pagans, of whom there yet remained a great 
many, and brought nearly all of them to a knowledge of the 
truth, so that he is with reason regarded as the Apostle of that 
province. After having, by twenty-six years spent in this 
manner, entitled himself to the gratitude of the country, he 
died at Arbon, in the 95th year of his age, of a fever which 
attacked him upon occasion of his preaching a sermon, at the 
invitation of Willimar, on the feast of St. Michael. This was 
on the 16th October, in the year 640. Immediately after, the 
people from all sides made pilgrimages to his grave. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 843 

Upon the death of St. Columba, Mang, the faithful disciple 
of the saint, became superior of the cells ; but he soon left 
them to preach to the Swabians. He passed through Kemp- 
ten, where he left behind his companion, Theodore, and came 
to Fuessen, in which place he preached the Gospel, drove out 
wild beasts (as did also Theodore, at Kempten), and died the 
death of a saint, in the year 666. 

Prayer. 
We beseech thee, O Lord, let us be recommended to thee 
through the intercession of thy holy abbot Gall, that what our 
own merits are not worthy of, we may obtain through his pro- 
tection. Through Christ. 



i 



feast 0f St. Qebtoige. 

OCTOBER 17. 
Her Life, 

St. Hedwige was the daughter of Berthold, of Andechs, mar- 
grave of Meran, and count of Tyrol, and aunt of St. Eliza- 
beth, the landgrave of Hesse and Thuringia. From her child- 
hood she was educated at the convent of Kitzingen, in Fran- 
conia, and in the twelfth year of her age was given in marriage 
to Henry, duke of Silesia and Poland. In her married lite 
she preserved the same piety which she had learned in the 
convent; she observed herself, and prevailed upon her hus- 
band to practice such chasteness, that, by mutual consent, ac 
cording to the advice which St. Paul gives to the married, they 
observed continence during Advent, Lent, and other fast-days, 
as also upon Sundays and festivals, in order the more to give 
themselves to prayer and spiritual exercises. After there had 
been born to them six children, three boys and three girls, 
they resolved for the future to live in perpetual continence, 
and to give greater strength to their resolution, they went to 
their bishop to place in his hands their mutual promise. Henry 



844 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

also denied himself the use of gold, silver, and purple. At the 
request of his wife he founded, in 1203, at Trebnitz, near Bres- 
lau, in Silesia, a convent of Carmelites (now secularized), in 
which the pious duchess provided for the education of many- 
girls, noble and not noble, of whom some devoted themselves 
to a religious life, and others were by her presented with 
dowries, to insure them a proper marriage. As she well knew 
how strongly St. Peter had recommended to women discretion 
and modesty, she was not only free from all desire for splendid 
robes, head-dresses, and such like vanities, but she even de- 
spised whatever might draw to her the looks of others. After 
she had made her vow of continence, her dress was a gray one, 
of common stuff, and of small cost. She served the sick with 
her own hands, and lepers seemed to be dearest of all to her ; 
for in them especially she saw Jesus Christ, who, out of love 
to us, took upon himself the leprosy of our sins. Hedwige 
was not only great in what she did, but in what she suffered. 
When an injury was done her, her usual remark was, " Why 
have you done this ? May God forgive you !" When she heard 
the sad news that her husband had been severely wounded in 
the crusade, and taken prisoner by Duke Conrad, she most 
courageously went herself to Conrad, who, by the aspect and 
resolution of this virtuous wife, more than by her words, was 
prevailed upon to set his prisoner free. The duke died in 
1238, and thereupon she retired into the convent above men- 
tioned, there to serve God with greater strictness. She put on 
the religious habit (but without making the common vows), 
the more easily to practice works of mercy, and to assist the 
poor in their necessities. She slept upon boards, except that 
in sickness she lay upon a sack of straw. Next to her body she 
wore a garment of horse-hair, and clad only with the poorest 
dress, she often went barefoot even in the rough winter season, 
so that many a time the earth and snow upon which she trod 
were stained with her blood. For forty years she ate no flesh 
meat. On Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, her diet was 
fish and milk; on Mondays and Saturdays, dried peas; but on 
Wednesdays and Fridays she fasted on bread and water. She 
prayed long and often. Every day she heard as many masses 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 845 

as were said at the place where she was. Three years after 
the death of her husband, her son Henry lost his life in an un- 
fortunate battle with the Tartars. Seeing the wife of her slain 
son, and her daughter Gertrude, then Abbess of Trebnitz, in 
deep distress, she said: "It was the will of God, and his will 
must be agreeable to us." The mysteries of the bitter passion 
and death of Jesus Christ were to her the subject of daily 
meditation. Often she interrupted her prayers by a bloody 
scourging. Mary, the Immaculate Virgin, she loved as a 
mother so ardently, that her face seemed to be illumined at 
barely hearing her name pronounced. God, who had given 
her the means of supporting so many poor, and of causing so 
many sick to be healed, also bestowed upon her the power of 
restoring sight to the blind, of curing different diseases, and 
even of saving the dying from death. Before others had ob- 
served her life to be in any danger, she asked for the sacra- 
ments appointed for the dying, and received them in a manner 
so edifying that all present were moved to tears. Her de- 
parture from this life soon followed, on the 15th of October, 
]243. Twenty-four years afterwards Pope Clement IV. en- 
rolled her name in the calendar of the saints, and authorized 
her feast to be observed in Silesia on the 15th of October. On 
the 25th of August, 1278, her holy remains were taken up and 
exposed for public veneration in the convent at Trebnitz. 
Pope Innocent, in the year 1680, extended this veneration to 
the whole Church, and for that purpose appointed the 17th 
of October. She is venerated in Poland and Silesia as the 
patroness of those countries. It was a principle of St. Hed- 
wige's, "That the higher one is by birth, the more exalted 
should he be in virtue; and the more honorable Ave are by 
station, the better example should we show to others." Would 
that all who are high in place might regulate their conduct by 
this truth ! 

Introit of the Mass. I know, Lord, that thy judgments 
are equity, and in thy truth thou hast humbled me. Pierce 
thou my flesh with thy fear ; for I am afraid of thy judg- 
ments (Ps. cxviii. 75, 120). JBlessed are the undefiled in the 



846 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

way, who icalk in the law of the Lord (Ps. cxviii. 1). Glory 
be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who didst teaeh blessed Hedwige to pass with her 
whole heart from worldly pomps to the humble following of 
thy cross, grant that by her merits and example we may learn 
to trample upon the perishable delights of the world, and in 
embracing thy cross, to overcome all that is adverse to us. 
Who livest. 

[For the Epistle and Gospel, see the Feast of St. Ann.] 



iFcast of St. toenbditt. 

OCTOBER 22. 

His Life. 

St. Wendelin was born in Ireland, and came of royal blood. 
In early youth, longing to obtain evangelical perfection by 
humility and self-denial, he left his native country and passed 
unknown through various places until he came as a pilgrim 
into the diocese of Treves, and there began to lead the life of 
a hermit, in a forest. A nobleman living in that vicinity, from 
whom he asked alms, reproached him with having chosen that 
maimer of life, and offered him the place of herdsman over 
his cattle. The humble servant of God entered upon this em- 
ployment with diligence and great fidelity. At first he had 
charge of the swine, then of the cattle, and finally of the 
sheep. Upon occasion of temptations, from within or from 
without, he took refuge with God, by prayers full of confi- 
dence, by severe mortifications, and by pious contemplation of 
the true country towards which he directed his steps from this 
land of his earthly pilgrimage. Wendelin, who by his sanctity 
had gained the entire love and respect of his master, was at last 
even entreated by him to give up the life he had thus far been 
leading, in order to serve God without hindrance. The saint 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 847 

thereupon retired to a cell not far from the Benedictine mon- 
astery of Tholey. At one time there prevailed among the 
cattle a great plague. The country-people around, in this 
misfortune, had recourse to the saint. They urged him to go 
with them into their villages to bless the cattle, and to pray 
God that the plague might be removed. Although his humility 
resisted their request, the afflicted people would not cease their 
solicitations until he went with them. He prayed, blessed the 
cattle, and the destructive plague ceased. Hereupon esteem 
for the saint rose higher than ever. An evidence of this was 
given by the clergy of the convent at Tholey, who unanimously 
chose him to be their abbot. Although afflicted with mani- 
fold diseases, he surpassed his brethren in all the exercises of the 
monastic life. On the 20th October, 560, he departed this 
life, to receive a heavenly crown, for the earthly one which 
he had refused. Before his death he revealed his lineage to 
his confessor. The body of the saint was buried in his first 
cell, where a chapel, and afterwards a church, was built. The 
village of St. "Wendel (in Prussia), by degrees arose around 
the burial-place of the servant of God, and his remains are yet 
venerated in the church of pilgrimage which stands there. 

Prayer. 

We beseech thee, O Lord, let us be recommended to thee by 
the intercession of St. "Wendelin, abbot, that what we are 
unable to do by our merits, we may obtain by his protection. 
Through Christ. 



feast of t\)c $oln Apostles, Simon, atto Jfttb*. 

OCTOBER 28. 
Their Lives. 

St. Simon and St. Jude were, probably, brothers; the 
former received the surname, Canaanite, to distinguish him 
from Simon Peter, either because he was a native of Cana, or 
because of his zeal for Christ (Luke vi. 15 ; Acts i. 13). Judas 



848 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

was surnamed Thaddeus, or Lebbeus, to distinguish him from 
Judas Iscariot. Both were chosen Apostles by Christ, and 
were constant witnesses of his life and deeds. It is related of 
them in the Martyrology, that the light of faith was commu- 
nicated to Egypt and other countries of Africa, by Simon, and 
to Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Greater Armenia, by 
Thaddeus. Meeting in Persia, and propagating the Christian 
faith there by their preaching and miracles, they both gained 
the crown of martyrdom. There is extant an epistle of St. 
Jude which the Church has incorporated into the Holy 
Scriptures. From these two Apostles learn to have zeal for 
the glory of God, for your own salvation and for that of your 
neighbor. 

[The Introit of the Mass is the same as on the Feast of St. 
Andrew.] 

Prayer. 

O God, who, by means of thy blessed Apostles Simon and 
Jude, hast granted us to come to the knowledge of thy name, 
grant that we may celebrate their eternal glory by making 
progress in virtues, and improve by this celebration. Through 
our Lord. 

Epistle. (Ephes. iv. 7-13.) 

Brethren: To every one of us is given grace according to the 
measure of the giving of Christ. Wherefore he saith: Ascending on 
high he led captivity captive; he gave gifts to men. Now that he 
ascended, what is it, but because he also descended first into the 
lower parts of the earth ? He that descended is the same also that 
ascended above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. And he 
gave some apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, 
and other some pastors and doctors. For the perfecting of the saints, 
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 
until we all meet into the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the 
Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the 
fulness of Christ. 

Explanation. 
St. Paul here teaches that graces are not given to all men 
alike, but in that proportion which Christ finds most suitable 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 849 

for promoting the welfare of his Church and the salvation of 
the faithful. The dispenser of graces is Christ, who ascending 
on high, from thence distributes his gifts to men. Let us 
thank God for bestowing so many graces on us, and pray him 
that there may one day be one fold and one shepherd. 

Gospel. (John xv. 17-25.) 

At that time Jesus said to his disciples : These things I command 
you, that you love one another. If the world hate you, know ye 
that it hath hated me before you. If you had been of the world : the 
world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but 
I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 
Remember my word that I said to you: The servant is not greater 
than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute 
you : if they have kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all 
these things they will do to you for my name's sake : because they know 
not him that sent me. If I had not come, and spoken to them, they 
would not have sin : but now they have no excuse for their sin. He 
that hateth me, hateth my Father also. If I had not done among 
them the works that no other man hath done, they would not have 
sin: but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father. 
But that the word may be fulfilled which is written in their law : 
They have hated me without cause. 

Brief Lessons. 

I. From the fact that Christ and his disciples were hated and 
persecuted by the world, the greatest consolation and encour- 
agement may be derived by those who are obliged to suffer 
mockery, contempt, and persecution, because they are not of 
the world ; that is, because they do not follow its foolish prin- 
ciples and sinful customs. But they who, to escape the de- 
rision and hatred of the world, side with it, rather than with 
Christ, may learn to be ashamed of their cowardice and base- 
ness. For as it is an honor to the servant to be treated like 
his master, so is it a great disgrace to him to be treated better 
than his master ; if, then, the master is pleased to submit to 
the hatred and persecution of the world, why do his servants 
refuse to do so ? 

II. When Christ says that the Jews could not excuse them- 

36- 



850 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

selves on the ground that they did not know him, but had 
hated and persecuted him when it was easy for them to have 
known him by his works, he teaches us that ignorance is not 
in every case an excuse for sin. Those Christians, therefore, 
are in the highest degree culpable, who, like the Jews, might 
easily learn what they ought to believe and do, but who fail to 
do so either through maliciousness or neglect, and accordingly 
remain in ignorance by their own fault. Acting in this kind 
of ignorance, they become guilty of sin, and will be justly con- 
demned forever. It is otherwise with men who, without any 
fault of theirs, hear nothing of Christ or of the true faith, on 
account of which they are not punishable, but who will be con- 
demned for such sins as they commit against that natural law 
which is inscribed on the heart of every man. 

III. Christ says of the Jews that they had hated him with- 
out cause. Is it not true of all other sinners? God loves man 
as the apple of his eye, and for him has given his only-begotten 
Son. That Son has offered himself up on the cross for the sal- 
vation of men, has given us his flesh and blood for food and 
drink, and every moment bestows upon us continual blessings 
in soul and body. If, notwithstanding all this, we yet sin, is 
it not hating God without cause ? 

Aspiration. 

O Most Loving Jesus, we render thee perpetual thanks, that 
for love of us thou didst give thyself up to death, and we be- 
seech thee that thou wouldst kindle in our hearts the flame of 
heavenly love that, according to thy commandment, we may 
love our neighbor as ourselves, and never, either through 
hatred or persecution, swerve from this love; remembering 
that we, the servants, are not better than thou, O our Lord 
and our God, and that we cannot complain if, like thee, we 
are hated and persecuted by the world. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 851 

.feast of St. toolfgang, Uisljop. 

OCTOBER 31. 

His Life. 

Wolfgang, born in Swabia, of parents better known as 
Christians than as nobles, was carefully educated in piety and 
learning. To the humble origin of his family St. Wolfgang 
gave a great splendor by his knowledge in arts and sciences, a 
still greater by his dignity of bishop, but the greatest of all by 
his virtue and sanctity. As a scholar, he distinguished himself 
when his teacher, Stephen, who taught the higher branches of 
science at Wurzburg, being unable to resolve the doubts he pro- 
posed, he was thereby deprived of the benefit of public lectures, 
and obliged to pursue his studies alone, which he did with such 
happy success as to render himself qualified for the place of a 
professor. In the convent of Maria Einsiedeln he submitted 
to the rule of St. Benedict ; but actuated by a higher spirit, he, 
with the permission of his abbot, left the convent, in the year 
792, with the pious design of preaching the Gospel to unbe- 
lievers. This design he actually carried out in the districts of 
of Lower Austria, after having first been ordained priest by St. 
Ulric. But the fruit which he there gathered was hardly ade- 
quate to his zeal. He brought but five thousand persons to 
the doctrine of Christ. Peregrin, bishop of Passau, kept the 
saint with him for some time, and recommended him to the 
Emperor Otho IL, as the most suitable man for the See of 
Regensburg, which was then vacant. To get the better of the 
humility of Wolfgang, the emperor sent for him to Regensburg 
under pretence of certain business. Chosen bishop of that see 
against his will, in the year 973, Wolfgang showed his fine 
abilities in their full greatness. He did not lay aside his re- 
ligious habit, and, as far as possible, followed the rules of mo- 
nastic life. For improving the morals both of clergy and laity, 
he made use of three sorts of means. The first was, he led a 
holy and irreproachable life himself. The second, that lie 
acted with entire disinterestedness, and was a remarkably free 
giver, so that people looked upon him as the father of the 



852 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

poor, the supporter of the widows and orphans, and loved him 
accordingly. The third means was the word of God, which he 
preached with so much earnestness and unction that his hearers 
were always moved to tears. He devoted to prayer a part of 
every night, as well as every moment that he could spare from 
his other duties. Besides, he fasted and performed other works 
of penance to win God's blessing upon his people. The faith- 
ful servant of God had the consolation to see his diocese in 
great part put on an improved appearance. During the episco- 
pal administration of Wolfgang, Henry, duke of Bohemia, sent 
an embassy to the Emperor Otho to petition for a bishop of 
their own, since the bishopric of Regensburg, which at that 
time included Bohemia, was too large to permit even the most 
zealous bishop to take proper care of it. The emperor con- 
sidered this petition to be as important as it was just, and 
therefore consulted Wolfgang in regard to it. He laid the 
affair before the chapter of the cathedral, by whom different 
objections were raised, and particularly that of the diminution 
of revenue. The pious bishop refuted these objections, main- 
tained with firmness that we ought to sacrifice temporal ad- 
vantage for the sake of saving souls, and granted to the 
Bohemians what they had asked. He had governed the 
church of Regensburg about twenty-two years when the end 
of his laborious course drew nigh. On account of business he 
set out for Upper Bavaria, but on the w 7 ay was seized with a 
fatal illness at Puppingen. He requested that he might be 
carried into the church of that place and laid before the altar 
of St. Othmar. There he received, with the deepest devotion, 
the sacramentsof the dying, and waited with ardent love for 
the moment in which he should be forever united w r ith God. 
The fame of his sanctity drew many people thither ; it was pro- 
posed to remove them from the church, that the saint might 
not be disturbed. But he observed it, and ordered that the)> 
should be allowed to remain. "Jesus Christ," said he, "was 
not ashamed to die naked upon the cross before the face of the 
whole world, for our salvation. Let every one, therefore, see 
in my death what is to befall himself, that he may fear it, and 
prepare himself for it. May the good and merciful God have 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 853 

mercy upon me, a poor sinner, who am now dying, and upon 
all who, with fear and humility, witness my death." After 
these words he closed his eyes, and softly fell asleep in the 
Lord, on the 31st October, 994. His holy body was carried to 
Regensburg, and at first deposited in the cathedral, but after- 
wards in the church of St. Emmeran, where it is kept in great 
veneration. 

St. Wolfgang, of his own accord, restored to the convent of 
St. Emmeran whatever had been unlawfully taken therefrom 
by his predecessors under the title of abbot. An act in itself 
truly praiseworthy, and yet only one in which all those are 
bound to follow the holy bishop, who knowingly and unjustly 
possess the goods of others, though not taken by themselves, 
but perhaps inherited or received in some other manner. Re- 
member the saying of St. Ambrose : " It is better to have no 
worldly goods and to be happy, than to have many temporal 
goods and withal to be damned. It is better that temporal 
riches should be lessened (by restitution of what has been un- 
justly gained), than to be forever ruined in soul and body." 
If you will not of your own accord deprive yourself, to your 
advantage, of the goods unjustly gotten from others, you 
will one day be deprived of them by force, according to the 
prophecy in the book of Job, The riches which he hath swal- 
lowed he shall vomit up, and God shall draw them out of his 
belly (Job. xx. 15). 

[For the Introit of the Mass, the Epistle, and Gospel, see 
the Feast of St. Nicholas.] 

Prayer. 

O God, who didst give to thy people blessed Wolfgang as a 
teacher and minister of eternal salvation, grant that we may 
experience the benefit of his intercession in heaven, whom we 
honor as a iruide while on earth. Amen. 



854 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

feast of &U Saints. 

NOVEMBER 1. 

Why has the Church appointed this feast ? 

1. To honor God in his saints, in whom he has shown him- 
self so wonderful, and to thank him, as the author of all sanc- 
tity, for the benefits he has bestowed upon them. 2. To put 
us in lively remembrance of the communion of saints ; that is, 
of all true children of the Church, whether they belong to the 
Church militant on earth, to the Church suffering in purgatory, 
or to the Church triumphant in heaven ; but more particularly 
to cause us to consider, with earnestness, the communion of the 
saints in heaven with us, who are yet combating on earth. 
3. To encourage us to strive for the like sanctity with them, 
and to teach us that it is by no means impossible ; for if thou- 
sands of men could become saints, why should not we, who can 
do all things through him who strengthens us, and has sent the 
Holy Ghost for our sanctilication ? 4. To pay honor to those 
saints to whom no particular day in the year is dedicated. 
5. That, in consideration of so many intercessors, God may 
grant us perfect reconciliation, may give us a share in their 
merits, and may grant us the grace of one day sharing in their 
joy in heaven. 

By whom was this feast instituted ? 

By Pope Boniface IV., who, in the year 610, appropriated 
the Pantheon (that is, the temple of all gods) to the divine ser- 
vice of Christians, dedicated it to the Blessed Virgin and all 
saints, and commanded this feast in honor of all saints to be 
celebrated at Rome every year. Gregory IV., in the year 
840, extended this feast to the whole Church, and transferred 
it to the 1st November. 

At the Introit of the Mass, the Church sings, Let us all re- 
joice in the Lord, celebrating a festival-day in honor of all the 
saints, at whose solemnity the angels rejoice, and give praise 
to the Son of God. Rejoice in the Lord, ye just / praise be- 
cometh the upright. Glory be to the Father. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 855 

Prayvr. 

Almighty God, Mho hast granted us to venerate in one 
solemnity the merits of all thy saints, we beseech thee that, as 
our intercessors are multiplied, thou wouldst bestow upon us 
the desired abundance of mercy. Through Christ. Amen. 

Epistle. (Apoc. vii. 2-12.) 

In those days : Behold I John saw another angel ascending from 
the rising of the sun, having the sign of the living God ; and he cried 
with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt 
the earth and the sea, saying : Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor 
the trees, till we sign the servants of our God in their foreheads. 
And I heard the number of them that were signed, an hundred forty- 
four thousand were signed, of every tribe of the children of Israel. 
Of the tribe of Juda, were twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of 
Ruben, twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Gad, twelve thou- 
sand signed. Of the tribe of Aser, twelve thousand signed. Of the 
tribe of Nephthali, twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Manasses, 
twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand 
signed. Of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe 
of Issachar, twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Zabulon, twelve 
thousand signed. Of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand signed. 
Of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand signed. After this, I saw 
a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and 
tribes, and peoples, and tongues : standing before the throne, and in 
sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their 
hands : and they cried with a loud voice, saying : Salvation to our 
God, who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb. And all the 
angels stood round about the throne, and the angels, and the four 
living creatures; and they fell down before the throne upon their 
faces, and adored God, saying: Amen. Benediction, and glory, and 
wisdom, and thanksgiving, honor, and power, and strength to our 
God for ever and ever. Amen. 

Explanation. 

The words of this epistle refer first to the spreading of the 
Church of Christ on earth, and next to its completion in heav- 
en. In the former view, St. John shows us that not all the 
Jews should fall into condemnation, but that a great number 



856 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

— indicated by the one hundred and forty-four thousand — 
would be received into the Christian Church, while of the hea- 
then an untold number should, within the Catholic Church, 
find deliverance from sin, death, and hell. In the latter view, 
the vision of St. John teaches us that the elect, both from Jews 
and Gentiles, shall one day enter into possession of the eternal 
glory, shall adore God forever, and sing continual praises to 
him for having delivered them from all dangers and crowned 
them with glory. The sign with which the elect are to be 
signed is, according to the interpretation of the holy fathers, 
the sign of the cross (Ezech. ix. 4). The white garments are 
the emblem of innocence and glory. The palms are tokens of 
victory gained. We too belong to the elect on earth— are 
children of the true Church. Oh, let us, then, labor and com- 
bat steadfastly against all enemies, to preserve the robe of in- 
nocence unstained. Then shall we be numbered among the 
host of the elect forever — the forever blessed. 



Gospel. (Matt. v. 1-12.) 

At that time: Jesus seeing the multitudes, went up into a moun- 
tain, and when he was sat down, his disciples came unto him. And 
opening his mouth, he taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in 
spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek: 
for they shall possess the land. Blessed are they that mourn : for 
they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst 
after justice : for they shall have their fill. Blessed are the merciful : 
for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart: for they 
shall see God. Blessed are the peace-makers : for they shall be called 
the children of God. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for jus- 
tice' sake : for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when 
they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil 
against you, untruly, for my sake ; be glad and rejoice, for your re- 
ward is very great in heaven. 



This gospel is read to-day, because it is by practicing what 
it contains that the saints have gained the eternal kingdom ; 
we too, to arrive there, must go by the same way. Let us, 
then, consider carefully the following — 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 857 

Explanation of the Eight Beatitudes. 

I. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom 
of heaven. The poor in spirit are, 1. Those who, like the 
Apostles, readily forsake all earthly things, and for Christ's 
sake become poor. 2. Those who, happening to lose their 
property by misfortune or injustice, suffer the loss patiently, 
in resignation to the will of God. 3. Those who, like Jesus 
(Matt. viii. 20), are content with their poor and humble po- 
sition, seek no higher or happier one, and would rather suffer 
want than enrich themselves by unlawful acts, by fraud or 
theft. 4. The rich and noble who set not their hearts upon 
the riches and greatness of the world (Ps. lxi. 11 ; 1 Cor. vii. 
30), but who use their riches and influence to relieve the mis- 
ery of the needy and oppressed. 5. Finally, the truly humble, 
who, convinced of their weakness, their helplessness and misery, 
think lowly of themselves, and regard themselves but as beg- 
gars, who are always in need of the grace of God. To all 
these, therefore, in whose hearts the world has no place, there 
is assured, as their inheritance, the kingdom of heaven ; here 
the kingdom of grace — there the kingdom of glory. 

II. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land. 
That man is meek who does not murmur against God for send- 
ing afflictions upon him, who is not angry at men who do him 
injury, but who rather suppresses impatience, anger, envy, 
and revenge, nay, Avho seeks to recompense the evil done him 
by his neighbor, with good. Such a one is greater than he 
who takes by storm fortified cities (Prov. xvi. 32) ; he pos- 
sesses an unfailing fountain of peace, quiet, and cheerfulness; 
by his meekness prevails over the most hostile minds, is by 
such means truly a ruler upon earth, and will one day, for his 
portion, obtain heaven, the land of the living, there to enjoy 
eternal peace. 

III. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be com- 
forted. By them that mourn, we are not to understand such as 
grieve and lament over a death, a misfortune, a loss of worldly 
goods, or the like; but those who are grieved that God should 
be in so many ways offended by themselves and by others — 



858 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

that his Church should be so heavily oppressed, and thereby 
. so many souls lost that have been redeemed with the precious 
blood of Christ. The only evil really to be grieved for is sin, 
and the tears shed on account of sin, are the only tears that 
are profitable, for they shall be recompensed with everlasting 

joy. 

IV. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, 
for they shall have their fill. Hunger and thirst denote the 
most ardent longing after those virtues which constitute Chris- 
tian perfection ; such as humility, meekness, the love of God 
and of our neighbor, penance. Whoever longs for these vir- 
tues as the hungry man does for food and drink, and prays to 
God for them with perseverance and earnestness, shall have his 
fill ; that is, he shall beenriched with them, and one day shall 
be satisfied with eternal happiness. 

V. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 
The merciful here spoken of, are: 1. They who willingly for- 
give the injuries done to them. 2. They who have compas- 
sion on their poor neighbors, and, according to their ability, 
sustain them by alms. These shall obtain mercy; that is, God 
will forgive them their sins and endow them abundantly with 
the goods of this world, and of the world to come. Thus God 
deals with us as we deal with others (Matt. vii. 2). 

VI. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shcdl see God. 
The clean of heart are they who preserve with care the inno- 
cence with which they are invested at holy baptism, or seek to 
regain it, when lost, by penance : they who keep their hearts 
and consciences unspotted from all sinful thoughts, particularly 
from all unchaste thoughts, desires, words, and acts, and who 
endeavor in all things to have a pure intention directed to God 
alone. They shall see God; that is, they shall know him even 
here upon earth ; for, as the eye that is to see must be clean, 
so only souls that are pure and unstained can behold God. 
But further, our knowledge is like our hearts ; the purer the 
heart, the clearer and greater is the knowledge of God. But 
in the world above they shall see, know, and possess him as he 
is. What blessedness! Strive, therefore, to keep your heart 
clean. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 859 

VII. Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called 
the children of God. By peace-makers, we are to understand 
those who have peace with themselves, that is, a quiet con- 
science, and who endeavor to maintain peace among others, or 
to restore it when broken. Such are called the children of 
God, because they follow God, who is a God of peace (Rom. 
xv. 33), and who even gave his only Son to reconcile the world 
with him (Rom. v. 10), and to bring down upon earth that peace 
which the world itself could not give (Luke ii. 14, John xiv. 27). 

VIII. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice'' 
safce^ for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Hereby all those 
are declared blessed who, on account of the true faith, of vir- 
tue, of the fear of God, of purity, are persecuted, calumniated, 
and even put to death, and who bear all this with Christian 
patience and constancy, nay, with joy. Thus have the saints 
done, and thereby they have gained the heavenly crown. Do 
we desire to be crowned with them, we must also suffer with 
them. And in truth, if we would apply ourselves zealously to 
virtue, occasions will not be wanting to us, for all that will live 
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Tim. iii. 12). 

Aspiration. 

How lovely, O God, are thy tabernacles ! My soul longeth 
and fainteth for thy courts, O living God, who art the crown 
and reward of the saints, and repayest their sufferings and sor- 
rows in this world with eternal joy. How blessed are all they 
who, in this life, have served thee faithfully ! They behold 
thee and the Lamb of God face to face; they bear thy name 
on their foreheads, and reign with thee forever. We there- 
fore beseech thee, O God, through their intercession, to grant 
us thy grace to serve thee after their example, in sanctity and 
justice ; to follow them in poverty, humility, meekness, repent- 
ance, in ardent longing for all virtues, in peace-making and 
patience, and one day, like them, to share in the joys of heaven. 
Amen. 

[See the instruction on the Veneration of the Saints, at the 
beginning of this part.] 



860 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

&U Souls HDa^. 

NOVEMBER 2. 

What is All Souls Day? 

It is the annual commemoration of all those souls departed 
this life in the grace and favor of God, who are still detained in 
purgatory. 

What is purgatory ? 

Purgatory is that third place in the other world in which 
the souls of the departed suffer the temporal punishment of 
those sins for which in life they have not sufficiently atoned, ' 
and in which they are purified until they are worthy to appear 
in the presence of God. This place, properly the place of 
purgation, is so called because souls not entirely pure are there 
first purified perfectly, as gold is by fire. 

Is there a purgatory ? 

Yes; it is a doctrine of our Faith. 1. Even under the old 
law the Jews held to this belief, and accordingly Judas 
Machabeus sent twelve thousand silver drachms to Jerusalem 
to procure the offering of sacrifices for the dead (2 Machab. 
xii. 43). 2. Under the new law, Jesus Christ seems to point 
to such a place (Matt. v. 26 ; xii. 32). The Apostle Paul 
writes to the Corinthians : TJie fire shall try every marts 
work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he 
hath built thereupon (upon Christ), he shall receive a reward ; 
if any marts work burn he shall suffer loss (by the fire of pur- 
gatory), but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire (l Cor. 
iii. 13, 14). A fire from which a man may be saved cannot be 
the fire of hell ; for from hell there is no redemption. The 
words of St. Paul, therefore, can only be understood of purga- 
tory. 3. In this sense has the infallible Church always ex- 
plained, and in every age, and every place, believed them, as 
can be irrefutably shown by the testimony of the fathers of 
the Church, by the prayers of the Church, by the decrees of 
councils in every century. St. Epiphanius, so early as the 
fourth century contended against Arius, who denied the ex- 
istence of purgatory. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 861 

What souls are they that go to purgatory ? 

The souls of all those who, though dying in the grace of 
God, have yet something to atone for. Those persons dying 
in the grace of God, are still friends of God, and certainly God 
does not cast those who are his friends into hell. Inasmuch, 
however, as there are still upon them certain stains of sin, they 
are not yet worthy to come before the pure presence of God ; 
for, as St. John says, there shall not enter into heaven any 
thing defiled (Apoc. xxi. 27). It is, therefore, as suitable to 
the idea of God's mercy, as it is consonant to reason, that 
such souls should be first purified in purgatory. 

What is the nature, the amount, and the duration of the 
suffering in purgatory V 

This is known only to God who regulates the punishment 
of purgatory according to his justice and mercy. But we 
know that it is the all-knowing and all-just God who judges 
his people, and that it is terrible to fall into the hands of the 
living God (Heb. x. 30, 31). In the case of every one the 
most dreadful thing is, to be so far removed from God, so long 
kept out of heaven. 

To what should this doctrine incite us ? 

1. To remember the poor souls in purgatory and to pray 
God for their deliverance. 2. To use all diligence while yet 
among the living, to make satisfaction for our sins and daily 
faults, by good works, by mortifications, by prayers, by in- 
dulgences. 3. To be on our guard against not only mortal but 
also venial sins, since these last make us liable to purgatory, 
and therefore surely are not trivial. 4. To do what we can of 
ourselves, and not to rely upon what others may do for us 
after our death. How untrustworthy is that ! 

What should move us to assist the souls suffering in purga- 
tory? 

The consideration, 1. That they are in a state of suffer- 
ing, and that they endure inexpressible pains without being 
able to help themselves. 2. That those who thus suffer are 
friends of God, brothers and sisters of ours, and members with 
us of the one body of Christ. Where does one member suffer 
unless the others suffer also? 3. To which is to be added 



862 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

that every one must desire such assistance for himself; for who 
is so clean, so free from sin, as to hope that he will be able to 
enter heaven without passing through purgatory? He should, 
therefore, do for others what he would wish done for himself. 

How can we assist the souls suffering in purgatory ? 

1. By our prayers. The holy Scripture says: It is a holy 
and a wmolesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may 
be loosed from sin (2 Machab. xii. 46). The Catholic Church 
has therefore always taught that the prayer of the faithful for 
the departed is holy and wholesome. 2. By the holy sacrifice 
of the Mass, the fruits of which are most beneficial to the 
souls in purgatory. For this reason Holy Church has always, 
from the time of the Apostles, remembered the dead in the 
Holy Mass. 3. By gaining indulgences, and other good works, 
by which we supplicate God to show mercy to the souls of the 
suffering, to accept what is performed by us in satisfaction for 
the punishment to be endured by them, and to bring them 
into the kingdom of everlasting peace and light (Ecclus. vii. 37). 

For what souls should we particularly pray ? 

We should, on this day especially, offer up our prayers and 
good works for all the souls of the departed in general, but 
particularly, 1. For our parents, for our natural and spiritual 
brethren ; for our sisters and relatives, our friends, benefactors, 
and pastors. 2. For those who have best entitled themselves 
to our prayers. 3. For those who have suffered longest, or who 
have yet to suffer. 4. For those whose pain is the greatest. 
5. For those who are the most forsaken. 6. For those who 
are the nearest to deliverance. 7. For those who are suffer- 
ing on our account. 8. For those who have hope in our pray- 
ers. 9. For those who are suffering on account of their faint 
desire after God and heaven, or on account of the little fear 
they had of purgatory. 10. For those to whom, in their life- 
time, we have done injury, or who have done injury to us. 

When and how was this yearly commemoration of the de- 
parted introduced ? 

The time of the introduction of this commemoration cannot 
be determined ; for as early as the time of Tertullian, he men- 
tions that the Christians of his day held a yearly commemora- 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 863 

tion of the dead (Lib. de coron. mil.) Towards the end of the 
tenth century, St. Odilo, abbot of the Benedictines, at Cluny, 
directed this feast to be celebrated yearly, on the 2d of No- 
vember, in all the convents of his order, which usage was after- 
wards enjoined upon the whole Christian world, by Pope 
John XVI. The feast of this day was probably established in 
order that, after having yesterday rejoiced over the glory of 
the saints in heaven, we should to-day remember in love those 
who are sighing in purgatory for deliverance. 

With what ceremonies is this day celebrated by the Church ? 

On the vigil of this feast the Vespers for the Dead are said. 
On the day itself the altar and the vestments of the priest 
speak of mourning. The chants Libera and Dies Irw remind 
us of death and judgment, and of the account there to be ren- 
dered of our whole life. The black cloth marked with a white 
cross, spread upon the floor, between wax candles, represents 
the cemetery. The priest standing there prays, and calls upon 
the bystanders to pray for grace and mercy, for deliverance 
from pain, for obtaining eternal rest. The lights denote the 
faithful of the departed, and the confidence of those that pray. 
The holy water and incense symbolize the desire that the prayer 
of the faithful may be pleasing to God. Where the cemetery 
is near by, these ceremonies usually take place over the graves 
themselves. Remember those who are suffering ; remember 
death and judgment, and pray fervently with the Church. 

The Introit of the Mass to-day, and of all masses for the 
dead, is : " Give to them eternal rest, O Lord, and let perpetual 
light shine upon them." A hymn, God, becorneth thee in 
Sion, and a vow shall be performed unto thee in Jerusalem. 
Lord, hear my prayer; all flesh shall come to thee (Ps. lxiv. 
2, 3). Eternal rest, &c. 

Prayer. 

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant 
to the souls of thy servants departed, the remission of all their 
sins, that by our pious supplications they may obtain the par- 
don which they have always desired. Who livest and reignest. 



864 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Epistle. (1 Cor. xv. 51-57.) 

Brethren : Behold I tell you a mystery. We shall all indeed rise 
again: but we shall not be all changed. In a moment, in the twink- 
ling of an e} T e, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and 
the dead shall rise again incorruptible : and we shall be changed. For 
this corruption must put on incorruption; and this mortal must put on 
immortality. And when this mortal hath put on immortality, then 
shall come to pass the saying that is written : Death is swallowed up 
in victory. death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy 
sting? Now the sting of death is sin: and the strength of sin is the 
law. But thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory, through 
our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Gospel. (John v. 15-21.) 

At that time, the man went his way, and told the Jews it was Jesus 
who had made him whole. Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, 
because he did these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered 
them: My Father worketh until now; and I work. Hereupon, there- 
fore, the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he did not only 
break the Sabbath, but also said God was his Father, making himself 
equal to God. Then Jesus answered, and said to them : Amen, amen, 
I say unto you : the Son cannot do any thing of himself, but what he 
seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doth, these the 
Son also doth in like manner. For the Father loveth the Son, and 
showeth him all things which himself doth, and greater works than 
these will he show him, that you may wonder. For as the Father 
raiseth up the dead, and giveth life, so the Son also giveth life to 
whom he will. 

Note. — The epistle and gospel place before our eyes the 
rising of all men to the judgment, in which every one shall re- 
ceive what he has merited in life — good or evil, eternal happi- 
ness, or eternal damnation. Let us bethink ourselves of it on 
this day, and also on every day of our life, for it rests with us 
which of the two we will prepare for ourselves. 

(Before the Gospel the priest recites the following Prose :) 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 865 



Dies Iree. 



Nigher still, and still more nigh, 
Draws the Day of Prophecy, 
Doom'd to melt the earth and sky. 

Oh, what trembling there shall be 
When the world its Judge shall see, 
Coming in dread majesty ! 

Hark, the trump with thrilling tone, 
From sepulchral regions lone, 
Summons all before the throne. 

Time and death it doth appall, 
To see the buried ages all 
Rise to answer at the call. 

Now the books are open spread ; 
Now the writing must be read, 
Which condemns the quick and dead 

Xow, before the Judge severe, 
Hidden things must all appear ; 
Xaught can pass unpunish'd here. 

What shall guilty I then plead ? 

Who for me will intercede, 

When the saints shall comfort need ? 

King of dreadful Majesty! 
Who dost freely justify, 
Fount of pity, save thou me ! 

Recollect, O Love divine ! 
'Twas for this lost sheep of thine 
Thou thy glory didst resign : 
37 



866 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Satest weaned seeking me, 
Sufferedst upon the Tree : 
Let not vain thy labor be. 

Judge of Justice, hear my prayer ! 
Spare me, Lord, in mercy spare ! 
Ere the Reckoning-day appear. 

Lo ! thy gracious face I seek ! 
Shame and grief are on my cheek ; 
Sighs and tears my sorrows speak. 

Thou didst Mary's guilt forgive, 
Didst the dying thief receive, 
Hence doth hope within me live. 

Worthless are my prayers, I know, 
Yet, oh, cause me not to go 
Into everlasting woe. 

Sever'd from the guilty band, 
Make me with thy sheep to stand, 
Placing me on thy right hand. 

/ 
When the curs'd in anguish flee 

Into flames of misery — 

With the blest then call thou me. 

Suppliant in the dust I lie ! 

My heart a cinder, crush'd and dry; 

Help me, Lord, when death is nigh ! 

Full of tears, and full of dread, 
Is the day that wakes the dead, 
Calling all, with solemn blast, 

From the ashes of the past. 
Lord of mercy ! Jesus blest ! 
Grant the faithful light and rest. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 867 

(At the Offertory in the Mass, the priest says the following 
prayer :) 

O Lord Jesus Christ, deliver the souls of the faithful de- 
parted from the pains of purgatory, and from the place of their 
banishment. Deliver them from the mouth of the lion, that 
the pit may not swallow them up, and that they may not fall 
into darkness ; but let the prince of angels, St. Michael, bring 
them into the eternal light which thou hast promised to Abra- 
ham and his seed, of old. For this end we offer to thee, O 
Lord, our praises and supplications. Graciously receive the 
souls we this day remember, and suffer them to pass from 
death to life, as thou hast promised to Abraham and his seed. 

(Versicles to be said to-day, or at any other time, on visit- 
ing the graves of the departed :) 

V. From the gate of hell 

R. Deliver their souls, O Lord. 

V. Lord grant them eternal rest, 

R. And may perpetual light shine upon them. 

V. Let them rest in peace. R. Amen. 

V. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the 
mercy of God, rest in peace. R. Amen. 



ftazt of St. itlartin, Bisljop. 

NOVEMBER 11. 

His Life. 

St. Martin was born in the year 316, in Pannonia, or Hun- 
gary, of pagan parents, but he early procured for himself 
secret instruction in the Christian religion, :tnd in his tenth 
year was received into the number of the catechumens, that 
is, of those who are preparing themselves to receive holy bap- 
tism. At the age of fifteen he became a soldier, being, as is 
probable, forced to do so by his father, to whom the religion of 
the boy had become known. Out of love to God he not only 
kept himself aloof from all the excesses so common in this 



868 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

state of life, but he took advantage of it to practice love for 
man, by dividing his pay among the poor. Being one day so- 
loeited for alms by a beggar, and having nothing but his arms 
and his cloak, he gave him half his cloak. The following night 
Christ appeared to him, wearing that half of the cloak, and 
said to him : " Martin, who is yet a catechumen, has clothed 
me with this garment." Moved by this comforting apparition, 
he received holy baptism, gave up the life of a soldier, and be- 
took himself to St. Hilary, bishop of Poitiers, in France. As 
he was careful for his own salvation, so also was he careful of 
the salvation of others, particularly of his parents and relatives, 
for the sake of whose conversion he undertook a journey to his 
native land. On his return he built, not far from Poitiers, 
the first convent in France, into which he received twenty-four 
monks, with whom he led a strict and virtuous life. His great 
faith made him like the Apostles as to miracles, and the fame 
thereof spread abroad to that degree that, in spite of his re- 
fusals, he was chosen bishop of Tours. This high dignity 
changed nothing in his manner of living; rather it increased 
his humility, his patience, under the greatest persecutions, his 
zeal for the glory of God, his love for his neighbor, and par- 
ticularly for his enemies. After he had in such manner ruled 
over his diocese for twenty-six years, being then over eighty 
years old, the strength of life left him. He thereupon collected 
his disciples about him, and said : " Children, I am dying." 
They wept and mourned. Moved thereby, he in his prayers 
professed himself willing to labor longer if it were God's will. 
But he had labored for heaven enough, and God desired to 
place upon him the long-merited crown. With his eyes raised 
to heaven, he prayed incessantly, allowing himself no relief. 
At his last moments the enemy sought to confound him by a 
horrible apparition, but, full of confidence in God, the saint 
cried out: "What do you seek, cruel monster? In me you 
will find nothing that is yours ;" and soon after his spirit gently 
sank to rest. Would that we might learn from this saint truly 
to love God, and to care not only for our own salvation, but 
for the welfare of our fellow-men in body and soul ! Then we, 
too, might have nothing to fear in death. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 869 



Prayer. 

O God, who seest that we cannot subsist by any strength of 
our own, mercifully grant that by the intercession of blessed 
Martin, thy confessor and bishop, we may be protected against 
all adversity. Through our Lord. 

/ 

Epldle. (Ecclus. xliv., xlv.) See p. 789. 

Explanation. 

By this epistle, which literally refers to the great men of 
the old law, as of Henoch, Noe, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, 
Moses, and Aaron, the Church would set before us the type 
of the office of high-priest or bishop of the new law, and 
at the same time the honor, the dignity, and the happiness 
of that office. Thus a priest or bishop should use all dili- 
gence to resemble these men, so acceptable to God and so 
zealous for the salvation of souls, in thought and in action, as 
he partakes in their dignity. He who does this may hope that 
God will pour out abundantly not only on him, but on the 
people committed to him, the blessing of his grace, and make 
him great not only on earth but in heaven. Thus we too, if 
set over others, in order to bring upon those committed to us 
the blessing and the grace of God, must, before all else, fulfil the 
commandments of God ourselves, and go before them in good - 
example. Then the Lord will surely hear our prayers, will 
bless our endeavors, and we shall gain the crown of glory. 

Gospel. (Luke xi. 33-36.) 

At that time Jesus said to the multitude of the Jews : Uo man 
lighteth a candle, and putteth it iu a hidden place, nor under a bushel : 
but upon a candlestick, that they that come in may see the light. The 
light of thy body is thy eye. If thy eye be single, thy whole body 
will be lightsome : but if it be evil, thy body also will be darksome. 
Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 
If then thy whole body be lightsome having no part of darkness; the 
whole shall be lightsome, and as a bright lam]) shall enlighten thee. 



870 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

What does this gospel teach us? 

1. The same that it once taught the Jews; thus, a. Jesus is 
always the light of the world and he has not left himself with- 
out witness that he is so. This light is ever shining upon 
the world in his doctrines, his life, his acts, in his Church and 
in the mysteries of grace laid up therein, in the growth and 
preservation of that Church, and in the miracles which to this 
hour continue to be wrought within it. Hence, b. If we do 
not know him, if we do not obey and reverence his Church, it 
is but blindness and obduracy on our part ; there is wanting 
to us a pure, sincere mind, that loves only the truth. This 
gospel accordingly admonishes us, 2. That we should acquire 
such a mind ; for, says Jesus, as a sound clear eye keeps the 
whole bo$y always in the right direction, and guides it in all 
its movements, while an eye that is awry, or otherwise de- 
fective, causes the body to fall, in like manner a heart that is 
pure and always turned towards God, gives the right direction 
to our thoughts, wishes, and actions, and causes us to see the 
light of truth, whereas a heart fixed upon the various goods of 
the world, but blinded to God, tills our thoughts, wishes, and 
actions with corruption and sin. How great in that case must 
be the darkness, the depravity, the misery! 3. This gospel 
contains the emblem of that which, a. All superiors, masters, 
heads of families, parents — and particularly priests — should be, 
namely, lights, like Jesus himself. For this they are set upon 
the candlestick. They are, accordingly, to give light by their 
teaching and life, by their avoidance of scandals; b. Of that 
which every Christian should be — a light, by his faith, his 
good works (Matt. v. 16). Finally, c. Of the temper with 
which the faithful and all inferiors should meet those who 
are set over them, with believing and trusting minds. 

Aspiration. 

O Jesus Christ, the eternal light, which only leads to hap- 
piness, grant us to follow thee, to give heed to thy inspirations, 
to keep the faith inviolable, and to witness to it by our lives, 
that we may never depart from the way of life, but steadfastly 
walking therein, may cause our light to shine before men, that 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 871 

thou mayest be loved and praised by us all, here and through 
all eternity. Amen. 

Supplication to St. Martin. 

O St. Martin, precious heart of the priesthood, loving father 
of the poor, bright example of the religious, who, out of zeal 
for the glory of God, could neither be overcome by labor nor 
by death itself, at whose departure hence the angels therefore 
rejoiced, I implore thee, through thy powerful intercession, to 
obtain for me a "heart full of compassion for the needy, for the 
apostolic pastors of the Church, true zeal, and for all, at the 
bed of death, the grace by which, after this life of misery, we 
may together enter into that joy of the Lord which thou, as a 
good and faithful servant, already possessest. Through Jesus 
Christ, our Lord. 



£za$\ of St. Ceopoib, fttargrcifle. 

NOVEMBER 16. 

St. Leopold was born at Melk, on the 29th September, 1073. 
His father was the Margrave Leopold III., his mother's name 
was Itha. In 1096 he succeeded his father as Margrave of 
Austria, under the title of Leopold IV. At that time he built 
himself a residence at Xeuburg, which is now called Kloster- 
Xeuburg. Leopold distinguished himself as well by his mild 
and beneficent reign as by his unfeigned piety, so that the 
name of Pious was already given him by his contemporaries. 
He gave every one ready access to him, and even while pres- 
ent at an entertainment received petitions from his subjects. 
In the year 1106 he married Agnes, the widow of Duke 
PVederick of Hohenstaufen, daughter of the Emperor Henry 
IV., and mother of the Emperor Conrad III., a princess of 
great virtue, by whom he had eighteen children, seven of 
whom died in their innocence, while the remaining eleven, six 
sons and five daughters, lived to fill places of honor in the 
Church and in the State. As Solomon had once built a splen- 
did temple at Jerusalem, so Leopold was desirous in this 



872 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

respect to imitate him. He took counsel with his wife in re- 
gard to this design, and together they resolved to build a 
church under the title of Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, 
and with it to connect a seminary of learned and pious men, 
by whom the salutary word of God should be preached to 
their subjects, the ignorant instructed in the necessary truths 
of the faith, the infinite merits of the Son of God dying for 
man, applied to men through the administration of the holy 
sacraments, and the glory of God promoted. The circum- 
stance that while his wife was at the castle of Kohlenberg her 
veil was carried off by a sudden gust of wind, and afterwards 
found at Neuburg, induced him to build the new church there. 
The foundation-stone was laid on the 12th June, 1114. At 
first it was given to the secular and afterwards to the regular 
canons of St. Augustine. A son of Leopold's, by name Otto, 
as first provost of the Chapter of Canons at Kloster-lSTeuburg, 
had entered into the new flourishing order of Cistercians at 
Morimund. He begged his father to establish a convent in 
Austria for his religious brethren. The saint granted his pe- 
tition. The great expense necessary for this purpose he con- 
sidered well laid out, believing that by the prayers of pious 
priests, and by the continual praise of God in churches, the di- 
vine blessing would be obtained for his people, and the good 
of the whole land best promoted. Accordingly, in the year 
1311, he built, about four miles from Vienna, in the pleasant 
vale of Sattelbach, the convent of the Holy Cross, for the 
monks of St. Bernard, together with a magnificent church, 
which he richly endowed, that they might there love and 
praise God in quiet, to which holy occupation, as is expressed 
in the letters of foundation, he could not devote himself as he 
wished, on account of the affairs of State to which he was 
obliged to attend. His youngest son, Conrad, who died arch- 
bishop, took the Cistercian habit in the new foundation. The 
saint had acquired so good a name throughout all Germany, 
that in the year 1125 the princes of the empire offered him the 
imperial crown ; but he resolutely declined this dignity. Alter 
having reigned forty years, and for thirty lived happily with 
his wife, he was attacked by a severe illness, occasioned by 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 873 

the cold, damp weather of the autumn. He bore his illness 
with the greatest patience, and comforted himself by various 
passages of Holy Scripture. The better to prepare himself for 
death, he confessed his sins with great contrition, received the 
most holy sacrament as his viaticum, and made ready, by re- 
ception of the holy sacrament of extreme unction, to encounter 
successfully the combat of death. Finally, on the loth No- 
vember, 1136, full of holy longing for his heavenly country, 
amidst invocations of the holy name of Jesus, he gently gave 
up his spirit into the hands of God. His corpse was brought 
to Kloster-Xeuburg, and there laid in the vault which he had 
himself built. Through his intercession God wrought many 
miracles. He was canonized on the 6th January, 1483, by 
Pope Innocent VIII. His body was afterwards taken up, and 
in presence of Maximilian, king of Rome, of the Bishop of 
Passau, and of many mitred prelates, and of a large number of 
the Austrian nobility, inclosed in a coffin of silver, and placed 
upon the altar. In the year 1596, the yearly veneration of the 
saint, on the 16th November, was enjoined throughout all 
Austria. Many unreasonable persons fancy that all that is 
given to build churches and convents, and to support the 
clergy is so much badly laid out. How many hospitals, houses 
of refuge, and schools, they say, might be built with so much 
money ! How many needy persons might be therewith sup- 
ported. So Judas, when he beheld Magdalen anointing Jesus 
with the costly ointment, exclaimed : To what purpose is this 
waste f For this might have been sold for much, and given 
to the poor (Matt. xxvi. 7). What a zeal for the poor ! But 
under the appearance of zeal was hidden his cursed avarice. 
He was a thief says the Holy Scripture (John xvi. 6). He 
cared not for the poor, but for his purse ; had the ointment 
been sold, and the money for it put in his hands, some part 
of it would have gone to himself, but as this was not done, he 
murmured against what he called the icaste of the costly oint- 
ment. 

[The Introit, Epistle, and Gospel, same as on the Feast of 
St. Henry, emperor.] 
37* 



874 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Prayer. 

O God, who hast transferred St. Leopold from the cares of 
the world to heavenly glory, grant us grace so to use things 
temporal, that we may gain life eternal. Through Jesus Christ. 



iFeast of tfye presentation of iftarp. 

NOVEMBER 24. 

What feast is this ? 

A feast which the Church has instituted for the commemo- 
ration of the presentation of Mary in the Temple at Jerusalem, 
by her pious parents Joachim and Ann. Pope Sixtus V., in 
the year 1585, commanded the same to be celebrated through- 
out the Church. This presentation took place, according to 
old writers, in the third year of the life of Mary, in which her 
parents gave her to the priest to be educated, in order that 
she might be guarded against all defilement of the world. 
(Greg. Nyss. Serm. de Nativ. Christi.) There Mary grew up, 
full of grace and virtue. She had but one will, the will of 
God ; but one desire, the desire of pleasing God. " No man," 
says St. Ambrose, " ever possessed in so high a degree as 
Mary, the gift of contemplative prayer, and her whole life was, 
as it were, one continued ecstasy ; for her knowledge of God 
surpassed the knowledge of men, and in proportion to her 
knowledge grew her love, which consumed her heart like a 
holy flame." For this reason she shines forth through every 
century as the pattern for all, particularly for virgins, and has 
attracted innumerable persons to follow her shining example, 
as the prophet long before had foretold. After her shall 
virgins be brought to the king (Ps. xliv. 44). 

Brief Lessons. 

I. Joachim and Ann offered to the Lord their only and most 
beloved child, and gave her up entirely to his service. Great 
as the sacrifice was, they yet made it. The preservation ot 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 875 

the innocence of their daughter was to them before all else. 
Parents, God requires of you that you should not merely offer 
your children to him in the temple, but that you should take 
care to keep them pure and holy, as living temples which have 
been consecrated in baptism. 

II. Mary gives and dedicates herself to God so soon as she 
is capable of serving him, and that without any reservation, for 
all time, and irrevocably. When, then, shall we once give our- 
selves in earnest to God ? We have been indeed already 
given to him in holy baptism, we have been consecrated as 
temples of his, we have renounced the devil and the world, 
we have vowed to live only for God, and this vow have, per- 
haps, often renewed ; but have we also kept it ? What we 
gave with one hand — have we not taken it away with the 
other ? Have we not defiled the temple of our hearts by 
shameful lusts, lived for the world and vanity more than for 
God ? Ah, when shall we give ourselves up to God sincerely 
and forever ? Perhaps when we are old ! But will God 
accept our offering then? Will he be pleased that we first 
begin to serve him, when we can no longer serve the world? 
that we first begin to live for him when our life is soon to 
cease ? No ; God is a jealous Lord, and is not pleased with a 
heart divided between him and creatures. He requires us to 
love him with all our heart and all our soul, and to serve him 
with all our powers. Let us then do this, and do it from our 
youth ; let us keep ourselves in body and soul undefiled for 
the Lord ; such love, and such love only will he reward as 
perfect. 

[Ir.troit, Epistle, and Gospel, same as on the Feast of the 
Rosary.] 

Prayer. 

God, who wast pleased that the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, 
the habitation of the Holy Ghost, should on this day be pre- 
sented in the temple; grant, we beseech thee, that by her 
intercession we may deserve to be presented in the temple of 
thy glory. Through our Lord. 



876 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Aspiration to Mary. 

O Mary, most acceptable offering to the holy Trinity, pre- 
pare my heart that it may become a worthy sacrifice pleasing 
to God. Obtain for me the grace, that henceforth there may 
proceed from my heart no thought, from my mouth no word, 
from me no deed, which shall not tend to the glory of God 
and the good of my neighbor. Cause my heart to be always 
directed to God, that I may do nothing neglectfully which 
concerns his honor and my own salvation. Take from me my 
perverted will, and procure me through thy intercession a will 
like thine own, that I may fulfil all my obligations and follow 
strictly in all things the commands of God. Following thy 
example, I this day lay my unworthy heart upon the altar of 
God, there to remain till it shall please him to translate it to 
the temple of his glory. 



JFeast of St. QTorbinian, Bishop. 

NOVEMBER 20. 

His Life. 

St. Corbinian was born at Chartres, in France. While yet 
a boy he was fond of prayer, attended diligently holy mass, 
and took pleasure in hearing the word of God, and in the read- 
ing of Holy Scripture. With equal diligence he afterwards 
applied himself to the pursuit of knowledge, refusing himself 
many things that were allowable, particularly in regard to food 
and drink, in order to practice himself beforehand in self-de- 
nial. For fourteen years he lived the life of a hermit, in a cell 
which he had built near a chapel. His sanctity, the splendor 
of which was heightened by the gift of miracles, and the coun- 
sel that he gave to such as came to consult him, made him 
celebrated throughout the whole country, so that the mayor 
of the palace of the kings of France, Pepin of Heristal, com- 
mended himself to his prayers. But the distractions occasioned 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 877 

by intercourse with those that applied to him, caused him to 
seek out. another solitary place, where he might live entirely 
unknown to the world. Having a particular devotion to St. 
Peter, he went to Rome, and there lived in a cell near the 
church of the prince of the Apostles. The Pope represented 
to him that he ought not to live a solitary life, when in so 
many nations there was a want of apostolical laborers ; accord- 
ingly he consecrated him bishop in the f year 716, and commis- 
sioned him to preach the Gospel. Corbinian thereupon re- 
turned to his native country, where his preaching brought 
forth many good fruits. On a second journey which he made 
to Rome, he passed through Bavaria, where he converted 
many idolaters. Pope Gregory II. commanded him to return 
into that country, which had been neglected, and to make it 
the principal* theatre of his exertions. He obeyed ; and as 
Christians from day to day became more numerous, in the 
year 724 he laid the groundwork of the diocese Freysing, by 
erecting a Benedictine monastery upon a mountain near the 
old church of our Blessed Lady, which had stood there a long 
time, and which had been given to him by Grimwald, duke of 
Bavaria. Grimwald professed, indeed, the Christian religion, 
but was destitute of the spirit of it. He married Piltrude, the 
widow of his brother. For this unlawful marriage the holy 
bishop rebuked him with freedom. But his zeal produced no 
effect but to draw upon himself persecution ; Piltrude in par- 
ticular vowed his destruction, and employed assassins to take 
his life. But God preserved his servant, while his enemies, on 
the contrary, came to a miserable end. Upon the death of 
the duke and his wife, Corbinian, who had been obliged to fly, 
returned to Freysing in the year 726, and continued his apos- 
tolic labors. God had revealed to him the time of his death. 
After having, therefore, transacted some business relating to 
his diocese, he put on his episcopal vestments, went to church, 
offered the holy sacrifice of the mass, and, having finished, 
went back to his house, tasted a little wine, signed himself 
with the sign of the cross, and then, in the presence of several 
of his clergy, without any previous sickness, without any sign 
of pain, gave up his spirit on the 8th September, 730. Having 



878 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

a particular veneration for St. Valentine, bishop, he had di- 
rected his body to be buried near that saint at Mais, in Tyrol, 
a place in which he had formerly spent much time. God was 
pleased to glorify his name by miracles. His remains, with 
those of St. Valentine, were afterwards removed to Trent, and 
from thence, by Duke Thassilo II., to Passau, where the latter 
had been bishop. Aribo, the fourth bishop of Munich-Frey- 
sing (from 746 to 748), who regarded St. Corbinian as having 
asked to buried at Mais because St. Valentine rested there, 
thought that, by the change of circumstances, he had a right 
to claim the bones of the saint, and he succeeded. This trans- 
lation of the saint's remains is commemorated in the archdio- 
cese of Munich-Freysing on the 20th November. 

Behold I will allure her, and will lead her into the wil- 
derness, and I will speah to her heart (Osee ii. 14). If, 
therefore, the duties of your calling permit, devote every 
year several days, one after the other, to such profitable so ]i_ 
tude, and meditate seriously on your salvation, according to 
the directions of spiritual books written for that purpose. But 
if your occupations are so manifold and exacting that you can- 
not withdraw from them for several days, do not neglect to 
apply yourself, on Sundays and holydays, to this wholesome 
duty. 

[For the Introit, Epistle, and Gospel, see the Feast of St. 
Liborius, p. 189.] 

Prayer. 

We beseech thee, O Almighty God, grant us, through the 
intercession of St. Corbinian, the grace to increase in devotion, 
and to gain eternal salvation. Through Christ, our Lord. 
Amen. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 879 

Szazt of St. (Ecitljarhu, i)irc|iu anb iHartwr. 

NOVEMBER 25. 

J3er Life. 

St. Catharine, a noble lady of Alexandria, had from her 
childhood made such extraordinary proficiency in the knowl- 
edge of Christianity, and in other departments of learning, 
that at the age of eighteen she put to confusion the wisdom of 
the pagan philosophers. The occasion of her doing so arose 
out of the persecution of the Emperor Maxentius. For, hav- 
ing heard that the young and beautiful Catharine had de- 
fended, in the most profound manner, the divine character of 
Christianity, he called together the most learned philosophers, 
and promised them a considerable reward if they would refute 
Catharine and bring her back to paganism. But the very 
contrary of this happened, for she demonstrated the divine 
origin of Christianity with such unanswerable wisdom that 
these philosophers received the faith, and gave their lives for 
it. The emperor, irritated thereby, sought to prevail upon her 
to abandon her faith by promising to marry her, and, when this 
means proved ineffectual, by imprisonment for eleven days, by 
blows, by hunger and thirst. But the consequence of this was, 
his wife and one of his generals, Porphyry, who visited Catha- 
rine in prison, were likewise converted to Christianity, and 
prepared for the martyrdom which they endured. At this 
the tyrant fell into a great rage, and gave orders to have the 
body of St. Catharine cut in pieces by a wheel set around with 
sharp knives and iron spikes. But upon the holy martyr mak- 
ing the sign of the cross over this frightful instrument of tor- 
lure, it burst into pieces — a miracle by which many of the 
beholders were converted to the faith. Finally the youthful 
heroine obtained, by being beheaded, the double crown of vir- 
ginity and martyrdom. 

Lessons for Young Women. 

St. Catharine is a pattern for every Christian young woman. 
Like her, every one should strive, 1. To gain a thorough 



8&0 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

knowledge of the faith and of the practical doctrines con- 
nected therewith. 2. To preserve inviolate innocence in gen- 
eral, and virginal purity in particular, and rather to die than 
to suffer it to be wronged. Indeed a pure, chaste, innocent 
mind and life are the only true treasures of a Christian virgin. 
A young woman without innocence, is a skeleton in the grave. 
Use every effort, then, to preserve innocence ; shun carefully 
the dangers which threaten it, and lay hold wuth earnestness 
of the means of deliverance, when innocence is in peril. 

I. Among the dangers of innocence are, 1. The desire to 
please men ; to draw upon us the eyes of the world, and to 
be praised by it. 2. Vanity in dress, which seeks to gain 
consideration and support by the colors and beauty of gar- 
ments, by ornaments, by following the fashion of the day, and 
by immodest attire. 3. Imprudence in looks, in actions, and 
in words. 4. Bad company, dances, balls, theatres. The first 
step therein is too often the first step towards being seduced. 
5. Flatteries in regard to peculiarities of mind as well as of 
body. 6. Thoughtless and unnecessary association with persons 
of the opposite sex, particularly at night. 

II. The means to preserve innocence are, 1. The endeavor 
only to please God, which alone brings us true profit. 2. De- 
cency in dress, modesty of looks, moderation and propriety of 
speech, discretion in actions. 3. Flight from bad company 
and dangerous intercourse. The daughter who cares for her 
innocence should often deny herself lawful pleasures, that she 
may the more certainly conquer in the contest with such as 
are unlawful. She should never trust a blind inclination to- 
wards any person, for such inclination is blind and blinding: 
the spark too easily becomes a flame. She should never be 
alone unnecessarily with a man, nor receive presents from any 
man, but think on the reward in heaven for combating stead- 
fastly. Should it happen to her to be pursued, she must tell 
of it to her parents, or to her master or mistress. Should they 
o-ive her no help, she should leave such service. Poverty and 
bodily want are more endurable than that spiiitual want which 
comes from sin. At night she should lock her room and give 
no heed to the voice that would mislead her. At any attempt 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 881 

to corrupt her she should take to flight, or if that be impracti- 
cable, resist, call for help, and rather suffer death than part with 
her innocence. 4. Prayer, frequent reception of the holy sac- 
raments, and meditation on the truths of eternity. Never for- 
get that a youth of pleasure brings a sad old age, and a wan- 
ton life is followed by a late repentance, and how shall one 
stand at last before the Eternal Judge ? 

May you, O young woman, who read this, thus think and 
act. Take Mary for your pattern, that following her in purity 
and innocence, you may one day be received into God's eternal 
kingdom. Let Catharine be thy example ; contend like her, 
who, to save her faith and innocence, rejected all the promises 
of a powerful emperor, and gave up her body to every torture, 
in order to gain the crown of eternal life. Following her, you 
too shall one day be adorned with the crown of eternal glory. 

At the Introit of the Mass the Church sings, I spoke of thy 
testimonies before kings, and J teas not ashamed ; I medi- 
tated also on thy commandments, which I loved exceedingly . 
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of 
the Lord. Glory be to the Father. 

Prayer. 

God, who didst give the law to Moses on the summit of 
Mount Sinai, and didst wonderfully deposit in the same place 
the body of the blessed virgin and martyr Catharine, by means 
of thy holy angels, grant, we beseech thee, that by her merits 
and intercession we may come to the mountain which is Christ. 
Who lives. 

Epistle. (Ecclus. li. 1-7.) 

1 will give glory to thee, O Lord, O King, and I will praise thee, 
O God my Saviour. I will give glory to thy name: for thou hast 
been a helper and protector to me. And hast preserved my body 
from destruction, from the snare of an unjust tongue, and from the 
lips of them that forge lies, and in the sight of them that stood by, 
thou hast been my helper. And thou hast delivered me, according 
to the multitude of the mercy of thy name, from them that did roar, 



882 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

prepared to devour. Out of the Lands of them that sought my life, 
and from the gates of affliction which compassed me about. From 
the oppression of the flame which surrounded me, and in the midst 
of the fire I was not burnt. From the depth of the belly of hell, 
and from an unclean tongue, and from lying words, from an unjust 
king, and from a slanderous tongue. My soul shall praise the Lord 
even to death, for thou deliverest them that wait for thee and savest 
them out of the hands of the nations. 

Practice. 

These words with which the w T ise man thanks God for 
deliverance from the danger of death into which he had been 
plunged by his slanderous enemies, the Church fitly puts into 
the mouths of those holy virgins who have given up their 
lives for Christ. For he was their most faithful helper and 
most powerful protector amid the dangers and temptations of 
the world. Although he permitted them to fall into trying 
temptations, dangers, and distress, yet he did this but to give 
them the opportunity of victory, and to make his assistance 
the more apparent. So is it always. God is the powerful 
protector of pure souls, and never will he allow them to fill 
into sin, so long as they trust in him. But can they promise 
themselves this protection who without necessity, and without 
benefit, voluntarily expose themselves to the greatest dangers, 
and take pains to seek out the occasions of sin ? No ; for he 
will not renew in their case the miracle of the Babylonian 
youths, but will leave them to perish in the danger which they 
love (Ecclus. iii. 27). 

Gospel. (Matt. xxv. 1-13.) 

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples this parable: The kingdom 
of heaven shall be like to ten virgins, who taking their lamps went out 
to meet the bridegroom and the bride. And five of them were foolish, 
and five wise. But the five foolish having taken their lamps, did not 
take oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with the 
lamps. And the bridegroom tarrying, they all slumbered and slept. 
And at midnight there was a cry made : Behold the bridegroom 
Cometh, go ye forth to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and 
trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise: Give us of 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 883 

your oil, for our lamps arc gone out. Thewi.se answered, saying: 
Lest perhaps there be not enough for ns and for yon, go ye rather to 
them that sell, and tray for yourselves. Now while they went to buy, 
the bridegroom came: and they that were ready, went in with him 
to the marriage, and the door was shut. But at last come also the 
other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answering 
said : Amen, I say to you, I know you not. Watch ye, therefore, 
because you know not the day nor the hour. 

What would Jesus teach us by this parable ? 

After having in the preceding chapter of this gospel spoken 
of the last judgment, and warned us to watch because this 
judgment would break upon us unexpectedly, he enforces what 
he had then said by this parable of a wedding to which the 
bridegroom came when he was not looked for, and to which 
he took with him those who were ready, but excluded those 
who were not. 

The marriage is the everlasting possession and enjoyment 
of God ; the bridegroom is Jesus Christ ; the bride is his Church 
upon earth ; the marriage feast is the union of Christ with his 
bride in heaven, which represents the marriage-hall ; the ten 
virgins are all the faithful inasmuch as all are invited to the 
marriage of the Lamb and of the Bride, and to the everlast- 
ing feast which accompanies this union. The wise virgins are 
they who by their pureness from all sin, and by their good 
works keep themselves always ready for the coming of the 
Lord ; the foolish virgins are they who, contented with the 
name of Christians, think but little on God and eternity, and 
perform no good works. 

What are we to understand by the oil, the lamps, the 
vessels ? 

According to the interpretation of the holy fathers w r e are 
to understand by the la?nj)s, faith ; by the oil, charity ; good 
works, mercy ; by the vessels, the hearts and consciences of 
men. 

What is signified by the " Tarrying of the bridegroom ?" 

His tarrying signifies the uncertainty of the hour of death 
and judgment; the slumbering and sleeping, that dulness ol 
Christians by which they continue to live without good works 



884: INSTRUCTION'S ON 

until they are overtaken by the sleep of death, from which 
they are at last awakened by the sound of the trumpet and 
the voice, Arise ye dead, and come to judgment. 

What is meant by the foolish asking for oil and being sent 
to those that sell ? 

The asking for oil is to show that they w r ho content them- 
selves with a dead faith in order to escape the trouble of works 
of charity and mercy, will on the day of judgment beg for a 
a share in the merits of the just, but without being heard. 
For the virtues of the just will not make good the deficiencies 
of the wicked. How w T ill you feel when you then discover 
what you lack ? 

The sending of the foolish to those that sell is, according to 
St. Bernard, a severe reproach to hypocrites and to all who 
have served the world, — as much as to say to them, " You who 
have been always seeking to please men, must now after death 
look to them for your reward." 

Why did the bridegroom say to the foolish virgins, I know 
you not. 

Because he saw not in them the tokens of his discipleship — 
good works. Work therefore and watch in time ! 

Why does Jesus say, Watch ye, therefore f 

To this question St. Gregory answers, " If a man knew the 
hour of his death, he might devote one portion of his life to 
the pleasures of the world, and another to penance ; but since 
that is concealed from him he ought every day to expect the 
last moment, every day to watch, to do good, to shun evil, and 
to be ready for the coming of the Lord. 

Aspiration. 
O Jesus Christ, teacher of eternal life, we thank thee for 
having taught us how to keep ourselves prepared for thy 
coming by a prudent, watchful life. But since we are unable 
to do this of our own strength, grant us thy grace, that the 
fire of thy divine love may burn in our hearts, in order that 
we may constantly do what is good, and with thee enter into 
everlasting joys. Ah, grant that at the last judgment we 
may not hear that terrible sentence, I know you not ; but 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 885 

that joyful summons, Come ye blessed of my Father, possess 
the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the 
world. Grant us this, O Jesus, our God and Saviour, who 
hast redeemed us with thy precious blood, to whom, is due 
honor, praise, thanksgiving, and glory, for ever and ever. 
Amen. 



APPENDIX. 



patronage of St. Sosepf). 

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 

Introit of the Mass. The Lord is our helper and protector, 
in him our heart shall rejoice, and in his holy name we have 
trusted. Alleluia, alleluia. Give ear, thou that rulest in 
Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep. Glory be to the 
Father. 

Prayer. 

O God, who by an unspeakable providence wast pleased to 
choose Blessed Joseph for the spouse of thy Most Holy 
Mother, grant, we beseech thee, that we may deserve to have 
him for our intercessor in heaven whom we venerate as our 
protector upon earth. Who livest. 

Epistle. (Gen. xlix. 22-26.) 

Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold : the 
daughters run to and fro upon the wall. But they that held darts 
provoked him, and quarrelled with him, and envied him. His bow 
rested upon the strong, and the bands of his arms and his hands were 
loosed, by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob : thence he came 
forth a pastor, the stone of Israel. The God of thy father shall be 
thy helper, and the Almighty shall bless thee with the blessings of 
heaven above, with rhe blessings of the deep that lieth beneath, with 
the blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of thy 



886 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

father are strengthened with the blessings of his fathers : until the de- 
sire of the everlasting hills should come ; may they be upon the head 
of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite among his brethren. 

Gospel. (Luke iii. 21-23.) 

At that time: It came to pass when all the people was baptized, 
that Jesus also being baptized and praying, heaven was opened: and 
the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape as a dove upon him : and 
a voice came from heaven : Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am 
well pleased. And Jesus himself was beginning about the age of 
thirty years, being (as it was supposed) the son of Joseph. 

What we are to believe concerning the Evangelical Counsels. 

In what consists the perfection of the Christian life ? 

In the perfection of love (Col. iii. 14). The more a man 
separates himself from the world, and unites himself with God, 
the more perfect he will be. The more he clings to worldly 
things, and separates himself from God, the more imperfect 
and wicked w T ill he be. 

By what means can we attain to the perfection of the Chris- 
tian life? 

Jesus Christ shows us the w T ay which leads to perfection, and 
the means which render easy the fulfilment of the command- 
ments of God. 

What do we understand by the evangelical counsels ? 

We mean certain excellent practices which Jesus Christ lays 
before us, and to which he calls us, without directly command- 
ing us to adopt them. So that the difference between the 
commandments and the evangelical counsels consists in this: 
that the commandments bind us, by an indispensable obliga- 
tion, but the evangelical counsels do not. We cannot be saved, 
no matter what state of life we may be in, without keeping the 
commandments ; but we may obtain salvation without prac- 
tising the evangelical counsels. These no person is bound to 
keep except such persons as are bound thereto by vows. 

Which are the evangelical counsels? 

The principal are: 1. Voluntary poverty. 2. Perpetual 
chastity. 3. Entire obedience under a spiritual director. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 887 

By voluntary poverty is understood a free-will renunciation 
of the riches and goods of this world in order to follow Jesus 
Christ in his poverty. To the rich young man, who from his 
youth had kept all the commandments of God, the Saviour 
gave the counsel: If thou wilt be perfect, go sell all that thou 
hast and give to the poor, and come and follow me (Matt. xix. 
21). Further, he teaches us: So likewise every one of you, 
that doth not renounce all that he %>ossesseth, cannot be my 
disciple (Luke xiv. 33). 

By perpetual chastity we understand a free-will, life-long 
abstinence, not only from every thing that is contrary to purity, 
but also abstinence from marriage, in order to live only for 
God and his holy service in virginal purity. Of an unmarried 
life for the sake of heaven, Jesus said : He that can take, let 
him take it (Matt. xix. 12). St. Paul remained unmarried 
that he might be more at liberty to care for the things of the 
Lord. He also desires that all might be even as he, but he 
does not command it (1 Cor. vii. 7, 40). 

By entire obedience we are to understand a voluntary re- 
nunciation of one's own will in order to follow the will and 
command of a superior whom one chooses for himself. All 
the Apostles kept faithfully, not only the commandments given 
by God for all, but through their perfect obedience to their 
Master, adhered to him, and preached the Gospel after he had 
ascended into heaven. 

Since salvation may be gained without putting in practice 
the evangelical counsels, why does Christ present them to us 
for fulfilment ? 

He has presented them to us as practices most excellent in 
themselves, and as means for obtaining perfection. 

How is explained that the evangelical counsels are most ex- 
cellent practices in themselves ? 

There is nothing more excellent for a man than to offer up 
to God his body, his goods, and his own will ; and this is done 
by living in voluntary poverty, in perpetual chastity, and eri- 
tire obedieuce. 

How is Christian perfection gained by the practice of the 
evangelical counsels ? 



888 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

The perfection of the Christian life consists in perfect renun- 
ciation of all concupiscence, and in union with God the Lord 
only. But this happy condition can be reached in no way so 
easily as when one lives in poverty, chastity, and obedience. 
For poverty withdraws us from the concupiscence of the eyes, 
chastity from the concupiscence of the flesh, obedience from 
the pride of life, which three things alone and only hinder us 
from being united with God the Lord as we ought to be. 

How is it shown that, by practicing the evangelical conn 
sels, the keeping of the commandments of God is made 
easier ? 

This is readily shown in the case of each one of them. It 
is a divine command, that the heart of man shall not be divided 
between God and a creature. To him who lives in virginal 
purity it will prove far easier to keep this commandment, than 
to him who is married (Matt. vi. 24 ; 1 Cor. vii. 32, 33). 

It is a divine command, that man shall not set his heart upon 
earthly things. This will be easier for him who, of his own 
accord, gives up all worldly goods, than to him who retains 
possession of them. 

It is a divine command, to deny and mortify one's self. It 
is the easier to do this when one places himself under a supe- 
rior, all of whose directions and orders he obeys as those ot) a 
complete master over his conduct and actions. 

How should we put in practice the evangelical counsels? 

In practicing the evangelical counsels there are three points 
to be observed, in order that they may serve, or help to eter- 
nal salvation. 

1. They must be practiced with a pure intention, seeking 
thereby nothing else than to please God and to praise his holy 
name. 

2. With great humility, in no way giving ourselves prefer- 
ence over others. 

3. By great fidelity in observing not only what one has 
vowed, but also what is commanded. Also, one should live 
diligently and strictly according to the commandments, other- 
wise the practicing of the evangelical counsels will be of no 
avail. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 889 

What persons may bind themselves by vows to keep the 
evangelical counsels ? 

They who are in a proper state of life, and who possess a 
firm resolution to keep the evangelical counsels, to the salva- 
tion of their souls and to the glory of God, by the help of his 
grace. 

Can it happen that persons living in strict observance of the 
commandments of God, without practicing the evangelical 
counsels, should be more pleasing to God than those who have 
taken vows to keep those counsels ? 

When they who do not follow the evangelical counsels, but 
live in the world, have more completely renounced all concu- 
piscence, are by charity more united with God, and keep more 
strictly the commandments of God and of his Church than 
they who have taken vows to keep and practice the evan- 
gelical counsels ; in this case, they who do not practice the 
evangelical counsels are more perfect than they who do, for 
perfection properly consists, not in practicing the evangelical 
counsels, but in the perfect charity and entire renunciation of 
the world and of all concupiscence, which may be attained, al- 
though with greater difficulty, without keeping and living ac- 
cording to the evangelical counsels. 

What we must believe concerning Vows. 

What is a vow ? 

By a vow is to be understood a promise, in accordance with 
a foregoing pious resolution, made before God, whereby any 
one binds himselfj under penalty of sin, to do certain good not 
positively commanded by the moral law, but counselled and 
recommended by it. 

A vow is distinguished on the one hand from a simple pious 
or moral resolution, and on the other from those promises in 
which one vows to God either certain acts which, without that 
promise, would not be obligatory, or to perform something 
which is already binding before that promise. 

Is it pleasing to God, and meritorious for us, to make vows ? 

Yes ; for vows are tokens of special zeal for the service of 



890 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

God, and of a praiseworthy love for him. Accordingly God 
approved the vow of Anna, the mother of Samuel, by which 
she offered up to him her child (1 Kings i. 11). 

Are we bound to keep the vows we make ? 

If we promise a person any thing right, good, and pleasing 
to him, we must keep our promise. Should we not, then, keep 
to God what we have of our own free will, and after previous 
deliberation, promised to him ? This Holy Scripture expressly 
enforces, saying, When thou hast made a vow to the Lord thy 
God, thou shalt not delay to pay it, because the Lord thy God 
will require it. And if thou delay, it shall be imputed to thee 
for a sin. If thou wilt not promise, thou shalt be without 
sin ; but that which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt observe, 
and shalt do as thou hast promised to the Lord thy God, and 
hast spoken with thy own will, and ivith thy own lips (Deut. 
xxiii. 21, 22, 23). 

The non-fulfilment of a vow would be not only a breach of 
fidelity, but a direct violation of the honor and reverence due 
to God. If thou hast voiced any thing to God, defer not to 
pay it ; for an unfaithful and foolish promise displeaseth 
him, but whatsoever thou hast vowed, pay it / and it is much 
better not to vow, than, after a vow, not to perform the things 
promised (Ecclus. v. 3, 4). 

How many kinds of vows are there ? 

They are several, but they may be generally included in 
two — simple and solemn. Solemn vows are those which are 
made in a religious order approved by the Church, at the ex- 
piration of a novitiate, with a loud voice, and received by a 
superior in the name of the Church. Simple vows are made 
without any solemnity, and not received by a superior in the 
name of the Church. It is not here necessary that a man 
should expressly say, " I promise to. Almighty God, I vow, or 
I bind myself," etc. It is sufficient if, in his mind, he does the 
same thing, or, what is equivalent, with the intention of thus 
binding himself under the penalty of sin. 

What wise provision has the Church made to prevent abuses 
in taking solemn vows ? 

She has ordered that no one shall be allowed to take solemn 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 891 

vows who has not previously gone through a novitiate of one 
year, during which period the novice shall have been faithfully 
instructed in the duties of a religious life, and trained in all the 
exercises thereof, in order that he may have time to measure 
his strength by the rules of the order, and that his superiors, 
as well as himself, may test and examine his vocation. When 
this time has expired, the Church allows the novice to take 
solemn vows, provided that he be full sixteen years of age, 
and that all be done with perfect freedom, without force, 
threats, enticement, or solicitation, either on the part of his 
relatives, or of the superiors of the convent. 

In regard to young women, the Council of Trent has or- 
dered that they shall not make a religious profession until the 
bishop, or some other person commissioned by him, shall have 
asked each one of them individually, whether she have not been 
forced or deceived in the matter, and whether she understand 
well what she is about to do. After it is ascertained that her 
intention is holy, and her will free, and that she possesses the 
requisite qualifications, she is then allowed to make her re- 
ligious profession. And this Council further declares that it 
makes this decree, in order that their liberty may be preserved 
to young women who are about to be dedicated to God. 

The same Council anathematizes all those who, in any man- 
ner, would force a virgin, a widow, or any female, save in those 
cases which are excepted in the canon law, to enter a convent, 
to put on the religious habit, or to make a profession ; or who 
shall assist in so doing, by counsel or by deed ; or who, not- 
withstanding they know the person to be acting without her 
own free will, shall by any such course lend their consent and 
aid thereto. Further, parents and guardians of a novice are 
not allowed to give to the convent any of his property until 
after he has made solemn vows, except what may be necessary 
for his food and clothing during his novitiate, for fear that he 
might thereby be deterred from leaving the convent again. 

But what is to be done when one is not in a condition to 
keep his vows ? 

He is bound to make known to his spiritual superior the 
state in which he finds himself, and then the superior will 



892 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

either commute his vow for some other good work, or will set 
the petitioner free from it altogether. 

Who in the Church has power to commute vows, or to free 
persons from them ? 

They who have received in the Church the power to bind 
and to loose, each one according to the extent of his spiritual 
jurisdiction, and according to the limits of the power which 
the Church has given him. 

The head of the Church, the Pope, can absolve from vows, 
or commute them, throughout the world. Bishops possess 
this power in their own dioceses ; but they cannot exercise it 
in regard to those vows, absolution from which is reserved to 
the Pope. These are, 1. Of perpetual chastity; 2. Of enter- 
ing a religious order approved by the Church ; 3. Of making 
pilgrimage to Jerusalem ; 4. To Rome ; 5. To Compostella 
(the grave of the Apostle James, in Spain). 

For a vow to be reserved to the Pope, it must be certain 
and complete. But if its validity be doubtful, or if the need 
be pressing, if, for example, a still greater evil would ensue 
from the delay, or if a recourse to Rome would be impracti- 
cable, in such cases the bishop of the diocese may assume the 
changing of the vow reserved to the Pope. 

Can one be entirely freed from the obligations of a vow ? 

Certainly: this takes place when the vow loses its force. 
But he only can take away the force of a vow to whom be- 
longs authority both over the will of the person who makes 
the vow, and over the thing vowed. 

Fathers and guardians have power to invalidate the vows 
made by sons before the age of fourteen years, and by dauglv- 
ters before the age of twelve. ]STo married woman can, con- 
trary to the will of her husband, bind herself to certain things, 
wmich, though reasonable and good in themselves, would yet 
bring to confusion the order of a household. 

Solemn vows are not subject to the law of invalidation, be- 
cause they have been subjected to a previous investigation, be- 
fore being accepted by the Church. "Repent not," says St. 
Augustine, " that you have bound yourself by a vow. Rejoice 
rather, that you no longer possess freedom with regard to 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 803 

things as to which you could not, without loss, remain free. 
Put your hand courageously to the work, and fulfil the word 
which you have given. He who requires from you the accom- 
plishment of your vow, will help you. It is a happy necessity, 
which, in a manner, forces us to draw near to God by a more 
perfect way" (St. Aug. Ep. 127). 

What is requisite to lawful and valid absolution from a vow ? 

For law T ful and valid absolution from a vow there is requisite 
such a cause as we can believe would move God to take off the 
obligation of the vow. Such causes are, want of full and 
perfect liberty, fear caused in an unjust manner, an essential 
error in the vow itself, absence of the final cause of the vow, 
and a moral impossibility of keeping the vow. 

For what reasons may a vow be commuted ? 

1. When there is a change in circumstances, health, or state 
of life. 2. When a person has an invincible repugnance to 
that which he has vowed, so that in order to overcome it he 
must use towards himself a violence to which his courage is 
not equal. 3. When the vow produces distress of conscience 
and perplexity. 4. When, after carefully weighing every- 
thing, it is apparent that the thing vowed is not, in reason, 
suited to the condition of him who has made the vow. 

What vows may be commuted by confessors during a ju- 
bilee ? 

They can commute, for other good works, all vows, even 
such as are reserved to the Pope, except: 1. Yows, «, of per- 
petual chastity ; 5, of entering some religious order. However, 
even these may be commuted if made only conditionally. 
Vows to enter some religious congregation do not come under 
the above exception. 3. Yows taken to guard against sin, 
wherever the good works for which they are commuted are 
as efficacious as the vows themselves. 

The simple vows by which one enters a religious congrega- 
tion, as for instance, the School-brothers, or the Sisters of 
Charity, are made for the benefit of a third party, and cannot 
be commuted by virtue of a jubilee. 

Is a simple vow of perpetual (that is, of life-long) chastity 
permissible ? 



894: INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Of this there is no doubt. For although marriage is by the 
ordination of Divine Providence the state of most men who 
live in the world, and although a man who enters into this 
state with a Christian intention does well, yet he who prefers 
the unmarried state in order to follow the call of God, does 
better ; for the state of virginity is not only a more suitable 
state in which to take care of the salvation of one's self and of 
others than the state of marriage, overloaded as it is with 
cares and troubles, but it also admits of a higher and more 
complete sanctifi cation, making men, even upon earth, like 
angels. Upon this point St. Paul speaks in a manner which 
leaves no room for objection (1 Cor. vii. 8). JBut I say to the 
unmarried and the widows, it is good for them if they continue 
even as I. He that is without a wife is solicitous for the 
things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God ; but 
he that is with a wife is solicitous for the things of the world, 
how he may please his wife, and he is divided. And the un- 
married woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the 
Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit ; » but 
she that is married thinketh on the things of the world, how 
she may please her husband (1 Cor. vii. 32-35). 

2. Christ has not only permitted generally, to Christians, 
the state of virginity, but where one feels a vocation to it, he 
has expressly counselled it (Matt. xix. 12). For there are 
eunuchs who were born so from their mothers' 1 womb, and there 
are eunuchs who were made so by men, and there are eunuchs 
who have made themselves so for the kingdom of heaven. He 
that can take, let him take. Whatever Christ counsels for the 
sake of the kingdom of heaven (that is not only to spread the 
kingdom of heaven by teaching, but also that we may the 
more surely come to heaven and have there the greater re- 
ward), that we are certainly at liberty to vow ; in order that, 
knowing how easily we are turned away from what is good, 
we may give a lasting direction to the unsteadiness of our will. 

3. Whatever Christ counsels, what he promises to reward, 
must be possible, and although man has not the gift of chas- 
tity of himself, yet by watchfulness and prayer he can obtain 
it, and by the grace of God can overcome the temptations of 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 895 

the flesh ; for God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be 
tempted above that you are able, bat ivill make also icith temp- 
tation issue that you may be able to bear it (1 Cor. x. 13). 
When, therefore, a man, of his own free will, with delibera- 
tion, and by the advice of the friend of his conscience, makes 
a vow of chastity, he is bound to keep it, and by going con- 
trary to it contracts sin. 

4. We have, from the earliest ages of the Church to the 
present hour, innumerable examples of servants of God, many 
of whom have been great saints, who have vowed perpetual 
chastity. Would they have done so had they not believed it 
lawful to vow perpetual chastity ? Or will any man say that 
all these servants of God, all these great saints, have herein 
sinned ? 

5. By this virtue, more than by any other, man is brought 
continually nearer to God. lie that loveth cleanness of heart, 
for the grace of his lips shall have the king (of heaven) for 
his friend (Prov. xxii. 11). Here Ave see the reason why, in 
the language of Scripture, there is assigned to pure virgins a pe- 
culiar place among the followers of the Lamb, and the special 
prerogative, that they shall follow the Lamb whithersoever he 
goeth (Apoc. xiv. 1-5). The observance of chastity will have 
its reward in every state of life, but there will be a peculiar 
splendor to the crowns of virgins. The reason why such glo- 
rious crowns are bestowed for the observance of chastity lies 
in this, that to gain its victories requires a firmer heroism than 
is requisite for other virtues. " Sublime, and full of courage," 
says St. Cyprian, " is the contest for virginity, but great also 
is its reward. The first place and the hundredfold fruit be- 
longs to the martyrs ; but the second place, and the sixtyfold 
fruit, to the virgins" (Matt. xiii. 8). Justly, therefore, does 
this saint call virgins the flower of the Church, the most praise- 
worthy part of the flock, the joy of the whole Church. 

Such are the reasons why the preference of the state of vir- 
ginity over that of marriage has, in agreement with Holy 
Scripture, been most distinctly acknowledged by the teaching 
of the Church, and by the practice of every age, and earnestly 
defended against both ancient and modern heretics. 



896 



INSTRUCTIONS. 



If a person who has made the vow of chastity dare not, on ac- 
count of violence of incitement, trust himself to live in the world 
with continence, and desires therefore to enter into matrimony, 
he must solicit a dispensation to do so from the Apostolic See 
at Rome. After the imparting of absolution for the change of 
purpose, the vow of perpetual chastity is commuted into some 
suitable and wholesome penance, usualty into a confession once 
a month, and other works of penance and piety variously im- 
posed, some of which are to be performed every day. 

Upon the dissolution of the marriage by the death of one of 
the parties, the vow revives, so that to a second marriage a 
new dispensation is necessary. 




A SHORT COMPENDIUM 



CATECHISM BY PETER CANISIUS. 



WITH REFERENCES TO EXPLANATIONS OF THE DIFFERENT POINTS, AS 
CONTAINED IN THIS VOLUME. 



Catechism is concise instruction how we are to become holy and happy, 
according to the true doctrine of Jesus, as known to us from Holy Scrip- 
ture, tradition, and the decisions of the Church. 

Under three general heads — Faith, Hope, Charity — we are taught, 
1. What God has done. 2. What God will do. 3. What we must do to 
become holy, and to be saved. 

The two last heads comprise, 1. The outward means of inward holiness 
— the sacraments. 2. The outward fruits of inward holiness — Christian 
justice. 

To be holy, is of all things the most necessary ; to be saved, is of all 
things the most desirable ; and therefore instruction in catechism is of all 
things the most important. 

First Chapter. 

" Without faith it is not possible for man to please God, to live holy, or 
die happy." 

The Apostles' Creed. 

1. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth 
(p. 131). 

2. And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord (p. 69). 

3. Conceived by the Holy Ghost ; born of the Virgin Mary (p. 64). 

4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried (p. 291). 

5. He descended into hell ; the third day he rose again from the dead 
(p. 342). 

38* 






898 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

6. He ascended into beaven, and eitteth at the right hand of God, the 
Father Almighty (p. 390). 

7. From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead (p. 27). 

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost (p. 400). 

9. The holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints (First Sunday 
after Easter, p. 357). 

10. Forgiveness of Sins (Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, p. 564). 

11. Resurrection of tbe body (Easter Sunday, p. 341). 

12. And life everlasting (Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, p. 571). 
Amen. 



The Chief Things contained in these Twelve Articles. 

We believe, 1. God the Father to be the Creator of all things ; 2. God 
the Son to be the Redeemer of the sinful world ; 3. God the Holy Ghost to 
be our Comforter and Sanctifier. 4. These three persons to be one — one 
Almighty, all-knowing, infinitely good, holy, and just God (see Feast of 
Most Holy Trinity, p. 417). 5. That the soul of man is immortal. 



Second Chapter. 

Hope. 

"All that you ask the Father in my name, he will give it you," says 
Jesus Christ. What he teaches us to pray for, that we may also hope for. 



The LoroVs Prayer. 

1. Our Father who art in heaven. 2. Hallowed be thy name. 3. Thy 
kingdom come. 4. Thy will be done on earth as it is in beaven. 5. Give 
us this day our daily bread. 6. And forgive us our trespasses, as we for- 
give those who trespass against us. 7. And lead us not into temptation 
8. But deliver us from evil. Amen. (Tenth Sunday after Easter.) 



The Chief Things contained in these Seven Petitions. 

1. We hope from God the grace (Fourth Sunday after Easter, p. 373) 
to know him more and more, to love him, and to honor him by a holy life. 
2. Forgiveness of sins, and strength to resist temptation. 3. Deliverance 
from all evil, and eternal happiness in heaven. We may also hope that 
God will give us as much of temporal goods as we daily need for our sup- 
part. 

Together with the Lord's Prayer, Catholic Christians are accustomed to sag the 
Angelic Salutation. (See the Feast of the Annunciation, p. 710.) 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 899 



Third Chapter. 

Love. (Pentecost Monday, p. 404.) 

"Herein consists the love of God, that we keep his commandments." 
And God gave us his commandments only out of love, and therein com- 
manded nothing but love. 



The Ten Commandments of God. 

1. Thou shalt believe in one God (First Sunday after Easter, and Trinity 
Sunday, pp. 357, 417). 

2. Thou shalt not take the name of God in vain (Last Sunday after Pen- 
tecost, p. 602). 

3. Thou shalt keep holy the Sabbath day (Sixteenth Sunday after Pen- 
tecost, p. 549). 

4. Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother (First Sunday after 
Epiphany, p. 101). 

5. Thou shalt not kill. 

6. Thou shalt not commit adultery (Second Sunday after Pentecost, p. 452). 

7. Thou shalt not steal (Second Sunday in Lent and Fourteenth Sunday 
after Pentecost, pp. 197, 538). 

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness (p. 40). 

9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife (Ninth Sunday after Pente- 
cost, p. 497). 

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods (Ninth Sunday after Pen- 
tecost, p. 497). 



The Chief Things contained in these Ten Commandments of God. 

1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with thy 
whole soul, with thy whole mind, with thy whole strength (Seventeenth 
Sunday after Pentecost, p. 552). 

2. The second is like unto it : Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself 
(Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, p. 515). On these two commandments 
hang all the law and the prophets. 

" Wilt thou have life eternal ? Keep the commandments." 

The commandments of the Church are principally these five : 

1. Observe the holydays throughout the year. 2. Hear mass on Sun- 
days and holydays. 3. Keep the prescribed fast-days. 4. Confess your 
sins, and receive holy communion at least once a year. 5. Thou shalt not 
marry at forbidden times. "He who does not hear the Church shall be to 
you like a heathen and a publican" (Second Sunday in Lent, p. 197). 



900 INSTRUCTIONS ON 

Fourth Chapter. 

The Holy Sacraments. 

A sacrament is a visible and efficacious sign, instituted by Christ him- 
self, that we may receive, invisibly, grace and inward sanctification. There 
are seven sacraments : 

1. Baptism (Trinity Sunday, p. 421). 

2. Confirmation (Tuesday after Pentecost, p. 408). 

3. The Holy Sacrament of the Altar (Corpus Christi, p. 437). 

4. Penance (p. 48). 

5. Extreme Unction (Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, p. 520). 

6. Holy Orders (Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, p. 528). 

7. Matrimony (p. 109). 

Fifth Chapter. 
On Christian Justice. 
Christian justice consists in avoiding evil and in doing good. 

I. The Evil which a Christian must avoid. 

A Christian must avoid sins and vices which deprive man of honor, 
goods, body, and life ; which separate him from God, and carry him to 
eternal damnation. 

(a) The Seven Deadly Sins. 

1. Pride (Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, p. 506). 

2. Avarice (Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, p. 534). 

3. Impurity (Second Sunday after Pentecost, p. 456). 

4. Envy (Septuagesima Sunday, p. 141). 

5. Gluttony (Third Sunday after Pentecost, p. 460). 

6. Anger (Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, p. 473). 

7. Sloth (Septuagesima and Feast of St. Nicholas, pp. 141, 644). 

(&) The Sins against the Holy Ghost. 

1. Presumption of God's mercy. 2. Despair of God's grace. 3. Im- 
pugning the known truth. 4. Envy at another's spiritual good. 5. To 
have a heart hardened against salutary admonition. 6. Final impeni- 
tence. 

(c) The Sins that cry to Heaven for Vengeance. 

1. Wilful murder. 2. The sin of Sodom. 3. Oppression of the poor, 
widows, and orphans. 4. To defraud laborers of their wages. 



THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. 901 



(d) The Nine Ways of being accessory to Another's Sin (Twenty-first 
Sunday after Pentecost, p. 584). 

They partake in others' sins, 1. Who counsel ; 2. Who command ; 3. Who 
consent with them to sin ; 4. Who incite others to sin ; 5. Who praise the 
sins of others ; 6. Who keep silence as to their sins ; 7. Who overlook 
them ; 8. Who partake of them ; 9. Who defend the sins of others. 

II. Th-e Good Works which every Christian should do. 

He should live soberly, justly, and piously before God and man, and secure 
his Christian vocation by good works (Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, 
p. 491). These are— 

(a) The Three Chief Exercises of the Three Great Duties to God, Our- 
selves, and our Neighbor. 

1. Prayer (Fifth Sunday after Easter, p. 378). 

2. Fasting (Instruction on Lent, p. 162). 

3. Alms-deeds (see Feast of St. Lawrence, p. 797). 

(5) The Virtues contrary to the Seven Deadly Sins. 

1. Humility ; 2. Liberality ; 3. Purity ; 4. Benevolence ; 5. Temperance ; 
6. Patience ; 7. Devotion (p. 103). 

(c) The Corporal Works of Mercy (Seventh Sund. after Pent., p. 488). 

(d) The Spiritual Works of Mercy (Seventh Sunday after Pentecost). 

(e) The Fight Beatitudes (Feast of All Saints, p. 854). 

" They who do good shall enter into life everlasting, but they who do 
evil into eternal torments." 

Appendix. 

The Three Evanyelical Counsels are, 1. Voluntary poverty ; 2. Perpetual 
chastity ; 3. Entire obedience under a spiritual director. 

The Four Last Things. 

1. Death (Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, p. 542). 

2. Judgment (p. 26). 

3. Hell (Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost, p. 603). 

4. Heaven (Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, p. 575). 

" In all thy works remember thy last end, man, and thou shalt never 
sin" (Eoclus. vii. 40). 






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